Tragopogon dubius

Native to western Asia and to Europe. Introduced and naturalized in North America.

Dry. Roadsides, disturbed sites. Full sun.

May to July

Pale lemon yellow

1′ to 3′

This is a 1′ to 3′ tall, erect, biennial forb that rises on one or more stems from a fleshy taproot.

In its first year it shows only a rosette of basal leaves. In the second year it sends up one or more sparingly branched, sparsely-leaved stems that terminate in a single flowering stalk with a solitary flower head. The stems and leaves are grayish-green or bluish-green and exude a milky sap when broken.

The grass-like leaves are alternate, clasping, untoothed, and between linear and lanceolate in shape. They get up to 12″ long and ¾″ wide, though most are closer to ¼″ wide. They taper evenly from the base to the tip. They do not bend backward, even at the tip. Young leaves have tufts of long, soft, tangled hairs. Older leaves become almost hairless except at the leaf axils. The leaf surface is fine, not rough.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower head, 1½″ to 2″ wide, at the end on a long, leafless flower stalk. The flower stalk is hollow and is swollen just below the flower head. The flower head has many pale yellow outer ray florets about 1″ long. There are 13 bracts at the base of the flower head that extend well beyond the outer margin of the rays. There may be only 8 bracts on smaller plants and on later heads. The flower heads open in the morning and are closed by the afternoon.

The fruiting head is a whitish, spherical pappus, about 3″ in diameter, resembling a large dandelion.

Meadow salsify (Tragopogon pratensis) leaves are curved backward or coiled. The peduncle is not inflated at the tip when the plant is in flower. There are usually 8, occasionally 12, bracts. The bracts do not extend beyond the ray florets. The ray florets are lemon yellow or bright yellow. It is found in moister habitats.