XRatibida columnifera - Upright Prairie ConeflowerX
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Upright Prairie Coneflower -or- Mexican Hat -or- Prairie Coneflower -or- Red-spike Mexican hat -or- Long-headed coneflower -or- Thimbleflower (Ratibida columnifera), family Asteraceae (Aster/Sunflower/Compositae)
This species is drought and heat tolerant. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has this technical information: 'A plant branched and leafy in lower part with long leafless stalks bearing flower heads of 3-7 yellow or yellow and red-brown, drooping rays surrounding a long, red-brown central disk. Its sombrero-shaped flower heads, is usually 1 1/2 ft. tall but can reach 3 ft. Flower petals range from dark red and yellow, to all red or all yellow. The flowers central brown disk protrudes 1/2 to 2 in. above the drooping petals. Leaves on the lower portion of the stem are feathery and deeply cleft.' End quote.
USES: The awesome website Native American Ethnobotany shows these uses by native americans: Keres, Western - Crushed leaves rubbed on mothers' breast to wean child. Cheyenne - Decoction of leaves and stems used as wash for pain, poisen ivy rash, and to draw out poison of a rattlesnake's bite. Leaves and stems boiled and solution used for rattlesnake bites. Dakota - Flowers used for chest pains, other ailments, and wounds. Leaves used to make a hot, tea like beverage. Lakota - Infusion of plant tops taken for headaches and stomachaches. Plant given to horses for urinary problems. Plant top used as a nipple. Navajo, Ramah - Cold infusion given to sheep which are "out of their minds." Zuni - Infusion of whole plant taken as an emetic. Oglala - Leaves and cylindrical heads used to make a tea like beverage.
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Plant location: Found in Brighton Colorado on a drive - July 3, 2008
The genus Ratibida hosts only four species. The distribution columnifera is widespread all through the United States as well as western Canada and parts of Mexico. See the BONAP distribution maps for all the species, here. Plant -
Bloom period: June to September.Foliage -
Found on Hwy 66 between Longmont and Lyons on September 7, 2008.
Per Flora of North America is this: Some variants of Ratibida columnifera have been treated as varieties or forms. The most prominent of these is forma pulcherrima (de Candolle) Fernald, which is characterized by its showy, purplish yellow to purple rays; it is more frequent in the southwestern part of the range of the species. In the typical form, rays are yellow (E. L. Richards 1968). Some authors have argued that Ratibida columnaris (Sims) D. Don is the correct name for this species; J. L. Reveal (1968) and E. L. Richards (1968) provided synoptic discussions of the issue. -
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Found on Hwy 66 between Longmont and Lyons on September 7, 2008.
USDA provides a great line drawing of different features of the species, here. -
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