Coneflowers (Rudbeckia & Ratibida)

Rudbeckia is in Group I of the Aster family, heads with both ray & disc flowers, yellow rays; the receptacle is strongly conic, the rays subtended by receptacular bracts.

Ratibida is also in Group I, but its rays are not subtended by receptacular bracts. Ratibida is also in Group III, heads with both ray & disc fls, rays not yellow

Rudbeckia (coneflower)

..... AT ..... ..... AD
..... sl toothed or entire toothed lobed divided
1) pappus none; style-appendages elongate, subulate; herbage coarsely hirsute; 2-4" heads black-eyed susan (1.hirta var. pulcherrima) round-lf tips; widespread esp in disturbed habitatsin the mts; PA to GA ..... ..... .....
1) pappus present, sometimes minute; style-appendages short & blunt ..... ..... ..... .....
2) receptacular bract glabrous, or ciliolate on the margins, rarely w/ a few appressed hairs on the back; not at all canescent ..... ..... ..... .....
3) receptacular bracts obtuse or acute, not awn-pointed; lvs merely toothed or subentire ..... ..... ..... .....
fl heads, 1-2" wide ..... orange cf (3.fulgida) chiefly in woods or moist places; PA s ..... .....
fl heads 2-4" wide; petals w/ orange base ..... showy cf (3.fulgida var speciosa) coarsely toothed or lobed; stem sl hairy showy cf (3.fulgida var speciosa) coarsely toothed or lobed; stem sl hairy .....
3) receptacular bracts consp awn-pointed; some of the lvs gen deeply trilobed or even pinnatifi ..... ..... thin-leaved cf (4.triloba) reflexed petals; 3-lobed lvs; woods & moist soil .....
2) receptacular bracts canescent near the tip w/ short, viscidulous hairs; green fls ..... ..... ..... green-headed cf (7.lacinata0 lower lvs; 3-7 irregular lobed lflts; moist places

Ratibida (coneflower)

..... AD ultimate segments linear or lanceolate; entire or nearly so large lvs pinnately divided into 3-7 lance-shaped, toothed lflts
disk columnar, 1-4.5 times as long as thick columnar cf (2.columnifera) prairies & other dry open places; occ eastward .....
disk shorter 1-1.6 times ..... gray-headed cf (1.pinnata) fl rays long & narrow, strongly drooping; prairies, old fields & dry woods, often on limestone; adventive eastward