Angiosperms: Dicotyledons

Asteraceae
Daisy Family

• Notes: Ratibida columnifera is similar to gray-headed coneflower except shorter (1’ to 2’) with the stem branching near the ground. The leaves are smaller (2 1/2” by 1 1/2”) with narrower segments. The ray flowers are shorter (3/4”), sometimes with a tinge of red. The disk is elongate (1” by 1/4”) and increases in length to 1 1/2” in fruit. Flowering is from early to late July, and fruiting begins in mid-July. R. columnifera is common on dry prairies and Loess Hills prairies in western Iowa and very uncommon in eastern Iowa on sandy soil. A commercial variety of R. columnifera is known as Mexican hat.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa