Showy coneflower

Rudbeckia speciosa Wenderoth, Index Sem. (Marburg). 1828

Stems glabrous or sparsely villous-hirsute (hairs spreading). Leaves: basal blades broadly lanceolate to ovate, 2–6.5 cm wide, lengths to 2 times widths, bases mostly rounded, margins entire or crenate, faces sparsely to moderately hairy; cauline petiolate (proximal) or ± sessile (distal), elliptic to lanceolate (becoming somewhat panduriform distally), not notably smaller distally, bases cuneate, attenuate, or auriculate, margins coarsely serrate to lacerate, faces scabrous to strigose. Phyllaries reflexed, 1–2.2 × 0.2–0.7 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Receptacles 11–18 mm diam.; palea margins ciliate, faces glabrous. Ray florets 12–21; laminae 20–40 mm. 2n = ca. 76.

Flowering summer–fall. Mesic open woodlands; 30–200 m; Ont., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., Ga., Ill., Ky., Mass., Mich., Mo., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Variety speciosa has rarely been introduced in Canada.