Natural History

Sweet Coneflower

Description
Sweet coneflower occurs on moist prairies, along streambanks and in low areas. Typically grows 3-5 feet tall and features daisy-like flowers (to 3" across) with yellow rays and dark brownish-purple center disks on branched stems. Flowers have a mild aroma of anise. Toothed, gray-green leaves (lower leaves are 3-lobed) are downy below.

Classification
Kingdom - Plantae
Division - Magnoliophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Asterales
Family - Asteraceae (aster family)
Genus species - Rudbeckia subtomentosa Pursh

Etymology
Rudbeckia is named after the Swedish father and son who were professors of botany and predecessors of Linnaeus, O.J. Rudbeck (1630-1702) and O.O. Rudbeck (1660-1740). S ubtomentosa means sub for "below, almost, less so than a similar plant;" tomentum for "hairy"

Flower  
Head yellow, 1.5 to 4 inches wide, disk purple/brown
12-21 rays
Bracts with whitish hairs near the tips
Inflorescence of several to many heads in branched clusters

Ray flowers
Ligule yellow, to 3.5 cm long, 6-7 mm broad

Disk flowers
Disk to 1.6 cm in diameter.
Corolla tube is purplish-brown.

Fruit
Dry seed, with no fluff

Leaf
Oval to elliptical
Hairy especially below
Edges of leaves are toothed
Larger leaves are deeply 3-lobed

Sources
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=RUDSUB
http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Rudbeckia_subtomentosa_page.html