Rudbeckia laciniata

This native perennial plant is 3-8' tall; it branches occasionally in the upper half. The stems are light green, terete, and usually hairless. The alternate leaves are up to 12" long and 12" across, becoming gradually smaller as they ascend the stems. They spread outward from their stems on long petioles and have a tendency to droop. The typical leaf has 3-7 large lobes, smooth or coarsely dentate margins, and a dark green upper surface that is hairless or slightly hairy. The lobes are elliptical or lanceolate in shape; the terminal lobe of each leaf is often subdivided into 2 smaller lobes. The uppermost leaves on the flowering stalks are much smaller in size and lanceolate to broadly ovate in shape; they lack lobes. The upper stems terminate in either individual or elongated clusters of flowerheads. Each flowerhead spans about 2½–3" across; it has a daisy-like structure consisting of a globoid central cone that is surrounded by 6-12 yellow ray florets. The central cone is light green while immature, but it later becomes yellow and resembles a pincushion to some extent because of the tubular disk florets. The ray florets have a petal-like appearance and they droop downward from the cone. There are about 5 floral bracts surrounding the base of the flowerhead; these bracts are light green, hairless, and ovate to oblong-ovate in shape. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall and lasts about a month. Each disk floret is replaced by an oblongoid achene that has a crown of tiny blunt teeth at its apex. The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous. Vegetative colonies of plants are often formed from the long rhizomes. Cultivation

This is a tall-growing wildflower with a rather lanky appearance. A cultivar of this species, called 'Golden Glow' has double flowerheads with more ray florets (greater than 12) than the wild form. Cutleaf Coneflower is one of several Rudbeckia spp. with yellow flowerheads. It has larger and more widely separated disk florets than these other species, which provides the mature central cone of its flowerheads with a slight pincushion appearance. The central cones of Cutleaf Coneflower are light green to yellow (depending on their maturity), while the central cones of other Rudbeckia spp. are dark brown to black (e.g., Rudbeckia hirta, Rudbeckia triloba, & Rudbeckia fulgida) or grey to brown (e.g., Rudbeckia pinnata). The leaves of Cutleaf Coneflower have 3-7 deep lobes, while the leaves of other Rudbeckia spp. have fewer lobes or none. An exception is Rudbeckia pinnata (Yellow Coneflower), which has leaves with as many lobes. However, the lobes on its leaves are more narrow than those of Cutleaf Coneflower.

Linnaeus first descriped Rudbeckia laciniata in Species Plantarum in 1753. In 1884, Asa Gray described variety humilis in Synoptical Flora of North America, and var. heterophylla was added by M.L. Fernald and B.G. Schubert in Rhodora in 1948. Shortly thereafter, Cronquist described var. ampla in Vascular Plants of the Northwest, in 1955. Finally, Robert E. Perdue, Jr. added the last variety, var. bipinnata, in an article in Rhodora in 1962. Thus, the five varieties of R. laciniata are ampla, the Rocky Mountain cutleaf coneflower, bipinnata, the Northeastern cutleaf coneflower, humilis, the Southeastern cutleaf coneflower, heterophylla, the Florida coneflower, and laciniata.

Cutleaf Coneflower is widely distributed and occasional in most areas of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include open floodplain forests, moist meadows in wooded areas, woodland borders, moist thickets, sloughs in partially shaded areas, calcareous seeps, and pastures. Occasionally, this species is grown in flower gardens.

Rudbeckia laciniata L.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Rudbeckia laciniata can be found throughout most of the U.S., excluding the Northwest, and the southern reaches of Canada. Var. ampla grows west of the Great Plains and in British Columbia, and var. laciniata can be found everywhere east of ampla's range. The other varieties have very small, localized distributions. Var. bipinnata grows from Maryland and Pennsylvania up through New England, except for Maine and Vermont. Var. humilis grows from Virginia south to Georgia and west to Alabama and Tennessee, and var. heterophylla grows only in Levy County, Florida. (Urbatsch & Cox, 2006.)

For more information, see the map provided by Flora of North America.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Key taken from Flora of North America. (Urbatsch & Cox, 2006.)

1. Receptacles ovoid; discs (17-)20-30 mm; w of Great Plains…………………

……………………………………………7a. Rudbeckia laciniata var. ampla

1. Receptacles globose or hemispheric; discs 10-20 mm; Great Plains and e United

States.

2. Basal and proximal cauline leaves not lobed, adaxial faces moderately to

densely hairy; Levy County, Florida………………………………………

………………………………….7d. Rudbeckia laciniata var. heterophylla

2. Basal and proximal cauline leaves lobed, adaxial leaf faces sparsely hairy or

Glabrous; e North America (not Levy County, Florida).

3. Proximal leaves usually with 0, 3, or 5 lobes; se United States………….

……………………………………...7c. Rudbeckia laciniata var. digitata

3. Proximal leaves usually 1-2-pinnatifid or with 5-11 lobes; e North America

(not se United States).

4. Proximal cauline leaves 2-pinnatifid, mid cauline leaves 5-11 lobed;

paleae 3.1-4.1 mm; cypselae 3.5-4 mm; pappi 0.7-1.5 mm……………

………………………………….7b. Rudbeckia laciniata var. bipinnata

4. Proximal cauline leaves pinnatifid, mid cauline leaves 5-9 lobed; paleae

4.4-6.1 mm; cypselae 4.2-6 mm; pappi 0.1-0.7 mm…………………….

…………………………………7e. Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata

Perennials, 50–300 cm (rhizomes often elongate, slender, plants colonial, roots fibrous). Leaves green, blades broadly ovate to lanceolate, all but distalmost 1–2-pinnatifid or pinnately compound, leaflets/lobes 3–11, bases cuneate to attenuate or cordate, margins entire or dentate, apices acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or hairy (sometimes with translucent patches); basal (often withering before flowering) petiolate, 15–50 × 10–25 cm; cauline petiolate or sessile, mostly lobed to pinnatifid, sometimes not lobed, 8–40 × 3–20 cm. Heads (2–25) in loose, corymbiform arrays. Phyllaries to 2 cm (8–15, ovate to lanceolate, margins mostly ciliate, glabrous or hairy). Receptacles hemispheric or ovoid to globose; paleae 3–7 mm, apices (at least of proximal) truncate or rounded, abaxial tips densely hairy. Ray florets 8–12; laminae elliptic to oblanceolate, 15–50 × 4–14 mm, abaxially hairy. Discs 9–30 × 10–23 mm. Disc florets 150–300+; corollas yellow to yellowish green (lobes yellow), 3.5–5 mm; style branches 1–1.5 mm, apices acute to rounded. Cypselae 3–4.5 mm; pappi coroniform or of 4 scales, to 1.5 mm.

"Perennials, 50–300 cm (rhizomes often elongate, slender, plants colonial, roots fibrous). Leaves green, blades broadly ovate to lanceolate, all but distalmost 1–2-pinnatifid or pinnately compound, leaflets/lobes 3–11, bases cuneate to attenuate or cordate, margins entire or dentate, apices acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or hairy (sometimes with translucent patches); basal (often withering before flowering) petiolate, 15–50 × 10–25 cm; cauline petiolate or sessile, mostly lobed to pinnatifid, sometimes not lobed, 8–40 × 3–20 cm. Heads (2–25) in loose, corymbiform arrays. Phyllaries to 2 cm (8–15, ovate to lanceolate, margins mostly ciliate, glabrous or hairy). Receptacles hemispheric or ovoid to globose; paleae 3–7 mm, apices (at least of proximal) truncate or rounded, abaxial tips densely hairy. Ray florets 8–12; laminae elliptic to oblanceolate, 15–50 × 4–14 mm, abaxially hairy. Discs 9–30 × 10–23 mm. Disc florets 150–300+; corollas yellow to yellowish green (lobes yellow), 3.5–5 mm; style branches 1–1.5 mm, apices acute to rounded. Cypselae 3–4.5 mm; pappi coroniform or of 4 scales, to 1.5 mm."

Urbatsch, Lowell E. and Patricia B. Cox. “Rudbeckia” in Flora of North America, Vol. 21, p. 49 Oxford University Press, Inc., New York, NY. 2006.

Cutleaf Coneflower is widely distributed and occasional in most areas of Illinois (see Distribution Map). Habitats include open floodplain forests, moist meadows in wooded areas, woodland borders, moist thickets, sloughs in partially shaded areas, calcareous seeps, and pastures. Occasionally, this species is grown in flower gardens.

Wet habitats along streams and woods

Autotroph

The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, predatory wasps, butterflies, skippers, moths, and various kinds of flies. Cutleaf Coneflower is a host plant for the caterpillars of the butterfly Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and some moths (Synchlora aerata, Eupithecia miserulata). The Common Goldfinch eats the seeds to a limited extent. The foliage of Cutleaf Coneflower may be somewhat poisonous to some mammalian herbivores. Photographic Location

Rudbeckia laciniata (Cut-Leaved Coneflower)
(Bees collect pollen or suck nectar; flies feed on pollen or suck nectar; other insects suck nectar; some observations are from Graenicher and Krombein et al. as indicated below, otherwise they are from Robertson)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apinae): Apis mellifera sn cp fq (Rb, Gr); Apidae (Bombini): Bombus centralis sn (Gr), Bombus fraternus sn, Bombus griseocallis sn cp (Rb, Gr), Bombus impatiens sn, Bombus penyslvanica sn (Rb, Gr), Bombus ternarius sn (Gr), Bombus vagans sn cp (Gr), Psithyrus variabilis sn (Rb, Gr); Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina dupla dupla sn (Rb, Gr), Ceratina calcarata sn; Anthophoridae (Epeolini): Epeolus autumnalis sn fq, Triepeolus donatus sn (Rb, Gr), Triepeolus pectoralis sn fq; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Melissodes agilis sn (Gr), Melissodes coloradensis sn, Melissodes dentiventris sn, Melissodes rustica sn fq, Melissodes trinodis sn cp fq (Rb, Gr), Svastra obliqua obliqua sn cp; Megachilidae (Megachilini): Megachile centuncularis sn (Gr), Megachile latimanus sn cp (Gr), Megachile petulans sn cp; Megachilidae (Trypetini): Heriades leavitti sn

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Augochlorella striata sn (Gr), Halictus confusus sn (Gr), Halictus ligatus sn cp fq, Halictus rubicunda (MH), Lasioglossum coriaceus sn (Gr), Lasioglossum forbesii sn cp (Gr), Lasioglossum pilosus pilosus sn; Colletidae (Colletinae): Colletes compactus sn cp fq; Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena aliciae sn cp fq (Rb, Gr), Andrena helianthi (Kr); Andrenidae (Panurginae): Heterosarus albitarsis sn cp, Heterosarus labrosiformis labrosiformis sn cp fq, Heterosarus rudbeckiae sn cp fq olg, Pseudopanurgus rugosus sn

Wasps
Sphecidae (Bembicinae): Bembix americana (Rb, Gr); Sphecidae (Sphecinae): Ammophila kennedyi (Rb, Gr), Ammophila nigricans, Eremnophila aureonotata, Sphex pensylvanica (Gr); Scoliidae: Scolia bicincta

Flies
Syrphidae: Allograpta obliqua (Gr), Eristalis dimidiatus sn (Rb, Gr), Eristalis transversus sn (Rb, Gr), Syritta pipiens (Gr), Syrphus ribesii fp np, Toxomerus geminatus (Gr); Empidae: Empis clausa sn fq; Milichiidae: Eusiphona mira (Gr); Bombyliidae: Exoprosopa decora sn (Rb, Gr), Exoprosopa fasciata sn, Exoprosopa fascipennis (Gr), Poecilanthrax halcyon (Gr), Poecilognathus punctipennis (Gr), Sparnopolius confusus sn, Systoechus vulgaris sn, Villa alternata sn; Conopidae: Zodion fulvifrons sn; Calliphoridae: Lucilia illustris (Gr); Muscidae: Stomoxys calcitrans (Gr); Tachinidae: Archytas aterrima sn, Spallanzania hesperidarum sn, Tachinomyia panaetius sn fq (Rb, Gr); Sarcophagidae: Sphixapata trilineata sn

Butterflies
Nymphalidae: Chlosyne nycteis, Danaus plexippus (Gr), Limenitis arthemis astyanax (Gr), Phyciodes tharos (Gr), Speyeria cybele (Gr), Vanessa virginiensis; Lycaenidae: Celastrina argiolus

Skippers
Hesperiidae: Poanes hobomok pocohantas (Gr), Polites themistocles

Moths
Noctuidae: Feltia jaculifera (Gr), Mythimna unipuncta (Gr); Sesiidae: Cisseps fulvicollis

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Ramularia asteris causes spots on live leaf of Rudbeckia laciniata

Rudbeckia laciniata plays host to the aphid Uroleucon rudbeckiae. (Service, 1984.) Its nectar and pollen attract a variety of bees, wasps, moths and butterflies. Its leaves are a foodsource for certain caterpillars, but the vegetation may be poisionous to mammalian herbivores. Finches may eat seeds.

Corynespora cassiicola is a pathogen responsible for eye-spots and eventual death of the leaves of R. laciniata. (Da Silva, Soares & Barreto, 2005.)

Vars. ampla, bipinnata, humilis and laciniata begin flowering in the summertime, but var. heterophylla can start to produce flowers in the spring. Flowering of all varieties continues into the fall. (Urbatsch & Cox, 2006.)

Perennials

Several years

Sexual

Rudbeckia laciniata has a rapid growth rate and can reach heights over 9 feet.

Although there are no known morphological differences between Ozone-sensitive and insensitive types, the stomatal response is significantly lower in sensitive plants. (Grulke, Neufeld, Davison, Roberts & Chappelka, 2006).

Rudbeckia laciniata has been reported as having chromosome numbers of both n=18 and n=19, along with a number of ploidy levels. (Urbatsch, Baldwin & Donoghue, 2000.)

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rudbeckia laciniata is listed as a threatened species by the state of Rhode Island. (USDA, 2010.)

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Ozone has deleterious effects on R. laciniata. (Chappelka, Neufeld, Davison, Somers and Renfro, 2003.)

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

First and foremost, Rudbeckia laciniata and its cultivars are grown as ornamentals. The leaves of young plants have been harvested and used as greens in salads.

Although poisoning is unlikely, this plant has caused poison by ingestion in the past, specifically in cattle and swine. As a precaution, it is recommended to suppress its growth in grazing areas.