Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Stemless or nearly so, from woody taproot.
- Leaves
- Basal, crowded, linear-oblanceolate, 1/2 to 3 inches long, up to 1/4 inch wide, stiff-hairy or nearly silky; margins entire.
- Inflorescence
- Heads, 1 to 1.5 inch across, sessile among tufts of leaves.
- Flower
- Involucral bracts overlapping in 4-7 series, narrowly-lanceolate, tips pointed; ray florets 20-40, 1/2 to 1 inch long, less than 1/8 inch wide, white or pinkish, often with dark stripe below; disk floret corollas 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, yellow, tips sometimes pinkish or purplish.
- Fruit
- Achenes, flattened, less than 1/4 inch long, pubescent; pappus of ray and disk flowers rigid, finely-barbed bristles, about twice as long as achenes.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Open, dry prairies and plains, often on eroding limestone slopes.
- Distribution
- West 2/3 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- The Blackfeet used a decoction of the roots to treat tired horses.
Additional Notes
Comments
Easter daisy is one of our earliest blooming wildflowers. Named for David Townsend, 1787-1858, an amateur botanist in Pennsylvania. The ray florets curl under at night.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 1-3 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-11-13
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: March, April, May