Blackeyed Susan

Some strains of Rudbeckia hirta are cultivated and/or used in seed mixes for "re-naturalization" and erosion control.

Annuals, biennials, or perennials, to 100 cm (taprooted or roots fibrous). Stems hispid to hirsute (hairs spreading, 1+ mm). Leaves: blades elliptic, lanceolate, or ovate (not lobed), bases attenuate to cuneate, margins entire or serrate, apices acute, faces hispid to hirsute; basal petiolate, blades 8–30 × 0.5–7 cm; cauline petiolate or sessile, blades (sometimes pandurate) 3–20 × 0.4–4 cm. Heads borne singly or (2–5) in loose, corymbiform arrays. Phyllaries to 3 cm (faces hispid to hirsute). Receptacles hemispheric to ovoid; paleae 4–6 mm, apices acute, often attenuate, abaxial tips hirsute to hispid. Ray florets 8–16; laminae (usually uniformly yellow to yellow-orange or with a basal maroon splotch, sometimes mostly maroon) elliptic to oblong or oblanceolate, 15–45 × 5–10 mm, abaxially hispid to hirsute. Discs 12–22 × 10–20 mm. Disc florets 250–500+; corollas proximally yellowish green, distally brown-purple, 3–4.2 mm; style branches ca. 1.5 mm, apices subulate. Cypselae 1.5–2.7 mm; pappi 0.