966 



COMPOSITAE 



Rudbeckia 



On September 26, 1932, I was collecting along the roadside near 

 Blocher in Jefferson County and my attention was directed to large flower- 

 ing specimens of this species. The date of flowering and the mammoth 

 size of the specimens attracted my attention. I measured the longest ray 

 of the specimen I collected and it was 57 mm long. I dug several plants, 

 brought them home, and planted them in our garden where they have 

 been ever since. I find that they are perennial and in cultivation they 

 are very prolific. In 1936 I made 12 full specimens from one plant. The 

 plants have long root leaves, the blades tapering at both ends, 3-5 cm 

 wide and about 15 cm long, on petioles 10-20 cm long. The heads are 

 mostly 15-18 mm wide, with involucral bracts 10-20 mm long and are on 

 long petioles except one bushy plant which has the many heads on short 

 petioles. Here in our garden this plant begins to bloom about the middle 

 of August and continues until killing frost. 



I have tried to find the correct name for my plants but have failed to 

 satisfy myself. Fernald (Rhodora 29: 458. 1937) published a key to 

 Rudbeckia hirta L. which I am not able to fit to our plants. He regards 

 the typical form of the species as having the "pubescence of the lower 

 leaf-surface variously spreading, with broad open glabrous areas between 

 the conspicuous green bulbous bases of the trichomes." He refers to Rud- 

 beckia hirta var. sericea plants of this complex that have the "pubescence 

 of both leaf-surfaces closely appressed (or chiefly so), the crowded hairs 

 chiefly parallel with the midrib, with minute or obscure bulbous bases." 

 He does not give the range of this variety but I can not make it apply to 

 our plants because Moore's original description calls for plants with 

 subulate involucral bracts three fourths of an inch (20 mm) long, while 

 the bracts of our plants are not subulate and are mostly 10-12 mm long. 



I find no description to fit my Jefferson County plants and I regard 

 them unique, requiring further study to place them. 



