Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

FINGER COREOPSIS

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Coreopsis palmata Nutt.

Woodson County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 16-36 inches

Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family

Flowering Period: June, July

Stems:

Erect, simple or branched above, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, especially near nodes.

Leaves:

Cauline, on most of length of stem; petiole absent; blade 3-5-pinnatisect, 1.2 to 3 inches long, .4 to 2 inches wide, lobes linear to linear-elliptic, ultimate margins entire.

Inflorescences:

Heads, radiate, solitary; peduncles .4 to 1.6 inch.

Flowers:

Involucres bell-shaped, .3 to .6 inch. Calyculate bractlets 9-12, oblong to lanceolate, .12 to .35 inch. Phyllaries in 2 series; outer linear-oblong, .25 to .4 inch; inner oblong to nearly round, .25 to .4 inch. Receptacle flat or slightly convex. Ray florets usually 8, pistillate or neuter, usually sterile; corolla yellow, ligule .6 to 1 inch, tip entire or with 2-4 minute teeth. Disk florets bisexual, fertile: corolla yellow, funnelform, .2 to .25 inch, lobes 5.

Fruits:

Achenes black, elliptic or oblong, flattened at right angle to radius of head, usually winged, 2 to .25 inch; pappus of 2 minute scales.

Habitat:

Tallgrass prairies, glades, open oak-hickory woodlands.

Distribution:

East 1/4 of Kansas

Origin:

Native

Comments:

Coreopsis, bug + appearance, alluding to the achenes of some species resembling ticks and palmata, hand-shaped, alluding to the leaves.

Finger coreopsis