3. Ratibida tagetes (E. James) Barnhart (short-ray prairie coneflower, green prairie coneflower)

Pl. 286 c, d; Map 1216

Plants with a taproot. Stems 30–60(–100) cm long, solitary (but then often several-branched from near the base) or clustered. Leaf blades 0.5–9.0 cm long, mostly oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate in outline (those of the undivided leaves linear to narrowly oblong), 1 or 2 times deeply pinnately divided (those of the uppermost and/or lowermost leaves sometimes undivided), the divisions (2)3–7, 0.3–4.0 cm long, linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, with 1 inconspicuous vein. Heads positioned mostly shortly above the leaves, the stalks to 6.5 cm long. Involucral bracts 10–12, those of the outer series 1.5–6.0 mm long, linear to lanceolate, those of the inner series 1–4 mm long, lanceolate to narrowly ovate. Receptacle oblong-ovoid to short-columnar or less commonly nearly spherical, 0.8–1.5 cm long. Ray florets 5–10, the corolla 4–9 mm long, yellow or more commonly with a well-defined zone of reddish brown to brownish purple toward the base, this occasionally entirely masking the yellow coloration, the outer surface densely short-hairy, both surfaces usually with scattered, minute, sessile, spherical, yellow glands. Disc florets 50 to numerous, the corolla 1.5–2.5 mm long, greenish yellow to yellowish green, sometimes purplish-tinged toward the tip. Style branches with the sterile tip slender and sharply pointed. Pappus a minute rim or crown. Fruits 1.9–2.8 mm long, somewhat obliquely oblong, the angle opposite the chaffy bract often with a minute, orangish brown fringe, the tip and the apical portion of the winged angle sometimes also with a minute, orangish tan fringe. 2n=32. August–October.

Introduced, known thus far only from the city of St. Louis (Wyoming to Arizona east to Nebraska and Texas; Mexico; introduced in Missouri). Railroads.