Golden crownbeard

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Golden crownbeard leaves

Golden crownbeard

Golden crownbeard bracts

Golden crownbeard ray and disk florets

Golden crownbeard

Morphology

Stem

Erect, much-branched, appressed-hairy.

Leaves

Mostly alternate above, opposite below, simple, stalked, ovate to triangular, 1.5 to 4.75 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, prominent veins beneath, green and appressed-hairy above, finely gray-hairy below; margins coarsely toothed; tips pointed.

Inflorescence

Heads, 1-3, terminal, on stalks, showy, 1 to 2 inches wide; bracts narrowly lanceolate, in 2 to several series, loose or weakly spreading, appressed-hairy.

Flower

Ray florets 10-15, 1/2 to 1 inch long, golden yellow, tips prominently 3-lobed; disk florets yellowish orange.

Fruit

Achenes, egg-shaped, flattened, winged, tipped with 2 tapering awns, enclosing small seed.

Ecology

Habitat

Open disturbed sites, waste areas, old fields, cow pens, and roadsides, most abundant in sandy soils.

Distribution

Throughout, except northwest 1/4 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans and pioneers used this plant to treat skin problems and spider bites. The Navajo chewed the petals to bring good luck while hunting and placed the flowers on their homes and in their hair to ward off lightning.

Additional Notes