Minnesota Seasons - black-eyed Susan


black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima

Family	Asteraceae (Aster)
Tribe	Heliantheae (Sunflower)
Nativity	Native
Status
Habitat	Dry to wet. Prairies, forest openings, roadsides, disturbed areas. Full to partial sun.
Flowering	June to October
Flower Color	Yellow ray florets, brown disk florets
Height	12″ to 36″

Identification	This is a 12″ to 36″ tall, erect, biennial or short-lived perennial forb that rises on one to several stems usually from a taproot, sometimes from only fibrous roots. The stems are erect, usually branched mostly above the middle, ridged, and sparsely to densely covered with short, spreading to ascending hairs. They are not glaucous. Stem leaves are alternate. Basal and lower stem leaves are on long, winged leaf stalks. They are inversely lance-shaped, tapered or angled at the base, and rounded or tapered to a blunt point at the tip. They are 2″ to 11¾″ long, ¼″ to 1¼″ wide, 3 to 5 times as long as wide. The upper and lower surfaces are sparsely to moderately hairy with spreading to loosely ascending hairs. They are usually rough to the touch and are not glaucous. The margins are usually untoothed but sometimes have widely spaced, fine, sharp, forward-pointing teeth. Basal and lower stem leaves are sometimes present at flowering. Middle and upper stem leaves are stalkless or on short, winged leaf stalks. They are lance-shaped, egg-shaped, or elliptic, the uppermost almost linear, rounded or squared at the base, and rounded or tapered to a blunt point at the tip. They are ¾″ to 8″ long, and ⅛″ to 1½″ wide. The upper leaves are clasp the stem at the base. The upper and lower surfaces are sparsely to moderately hairy with spreading to loosely ascending hairs. They are usually rough to the touch and are not glaucous. The margins are usually untoothed but sometimes have widely spaced, fine, sharp, forward-pointing teeth. Basal and lower stem leaves are sometimes present at flowering. The inflorescence is a single flower at the end of each stem and branch. Each flower is on a hairy stalk that is up to ⅓ of the plant height. The bracts at the base of the flower (involucre) are lance-shaped to linear, moderately to densely hairy, with moderate to dense spreading hairs on the margins. The flower heads are 2″ to 3″ wide. There are 8 to 21 yellow ray florets and numerous brown disk florets. The disk is in the shape of a flattened cone. The flowers are not fragrant. The fruit is a black, oblong achene with no tufts of hair attached.

Similar Species	Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba var. triloba) has smaller flowers with only 6 to 12 ray florets.

Range	Throughout

Sightings	Afton State Park Crow-Hassan Park Reserve Elm Creek Park Reserve Felton Prairie SNA Shrike Unit Frontenac State Park Glacial Lakes State Park Kasota Prairie SNA Lake Bronson State Park Lake Rebecca Park Reserve Long Meadow Lake Lost Valley Prairie SNA	Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve Oronoco Prairie SNA Ottawa Bluffs Preserve Pankratz Memorial Prairie North Unit Pine Bend Bluffs SNA Roscoe Prairie SNA St. Croix Savanna SNA Sedan Brook Prairie SNA Staffanson Prairie Two Rivers Aspen Prairie Parkland SNA

Comments	This is the state flower of Maryland.

Images	Click on an image for a larger view.






Synonyms	Rudbeckia hirta var. corymbifera Rudbeckia hirta var. lanceolata Rudbeckia hirta var. sericea Rudbeckia hirta var. serotina Rudbeckia longipes Rudbeckia sericea Rudbeckia serotina Rudbeckia serotina var. corymbifera Rudbeckia serotina var. lanceolata Rudbeckia serotina var. sericea


Common Names	black-eyed Susan blackeyed Susan