Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Lepachys columnaris, Lepachys columnifera, Ratibida columnaris, Rudbeckia columnaris, Rudbeckia columnifera
Other common names
Mexican hat
red-spike Mexican-hat
prairie coneflower
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12 to 36 inches
Riparian
No
Taprooted short-lived perennial of clustered hairy stems; generally leafy to above the middle; leaves divided into relatively few, often unequal and narrow divisions; colorful flower heads well above the leaves.
Stems erect, hairy; basal leaves short stemmed; stem leaves alternate; leaf blades deeply cut lobes; flower heads showy, narrow dark brown cylindric arrangement of disc flowers, 4 to 12 yellow to reddish-brown ray flowers that point down.
Habitat
Open areas, pine forests, along roads, grassy areas, disturbed ground.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
5000
High elevation
8500
Flower Characteristics
Cylindrical yellowish-brown cone, 1 inch long of hundreds of tiny disc flowers surrounded by 4 to 12 drooping oval petals (ray flowers); 1 to 15 flower heads per plant, each on a long stalk above the leaves.
Flower color
Yellow or reddish-brown or both
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
November
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stiff thin leaves, 3/4 to 6 inches long, have 3 to 14 long narrow uneven divisions, hairy and gland dotted.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Dissected
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Upper margins and tips sometimes hairy; sometimes topped with 1 to 2 tan-colored tooth-like projections.
Fruit type
Achene