Angiosperms: Dicotyledons

Asteraceae
Daisy Family

• Stem: perennial; unbranched; 1’ to 3’ tall; sometimes more than one stem per root crown; lightly hairy.
• Leaves: alternate; basal and lower stem leaves wider above the middle with pointed tips and long-tapering bases; 4” by 1/2” below to 2” by 3/8” at mid-stem; margins with teeth toward the tip; rough above and below.
• Inflorescence: usually cylindrical, sometimes cone-shaped or curved, 4” to 6” long; heads crowded on one side of the flower stalks; hairy.
• Heads: yellow ray and disk flowers; heads 1/8” across; fillaries 3/16” long, overlapping; flowering from mid-August to early September.
• Fruits: “seeds” (fruits) 1/16” long; plumes 1/8” long; fruiting begins in mid-August.
• Habitat: frequent on dry, rocky prairies and in prairie openings in dry woodlands.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa