Plant Name
Scientific Name: Verbesina encelioides
Common Names: Golden Crownbeard, Cowpen Daisy
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland, Riparian. This somewhat weedy wildflower is often found growing in pastures and other sunny locations where it can get a little extra water.
Flower Color: Yellow
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Height: To 40 inches (1 m) tall
Description: The flower heads are up to 2 inches (5 cm) across and have yellow disks and broad, 3-toothed, yellow rays. The leaves have toothed margins and are silvery green in color. The leaves vary in shape and arrangement on the plant and are typically narrowly triangular and opposite lower on the plant and lanceolate and alternate higher on the plant.
Special Characteristics
Poisonous – The plants contain galegine and are poisonous to grazing animals like sheep and goats.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Verbesina L. – crownbeard
Species: Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex A. Gray – golden crownbeard
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