ASTERACEAE
Verbesina encelioides
Common Name: Cowpen Daisy, Golden Crownbeard
habit - this is an annual species that grows up to 1m tall | leaves - what kind of leaf arrangement is present? notice the winged petioles with auricles or lobes at their bases (right above the ant!) |
stems lack the wings that are conspicuous in Verbesina virginica. notice also the new leaves developing from axillary buds |
yellow heads - can you identify the two types of flower within the inflorescence? the large outer ray flowers are zygomorphic with three lobes apically (at the ends). the disk flowers in the center are actinomorphic. |
the 5 corolla lobes present in each of the disc flowers can be clearly seen | Can you see the androecium and gynoecium of the individual disc flowers? The anthers are fused to form a tube that is slightly red in this species. The style lobes can be seen exerted from this tube in the outer disk flowers. |