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- Coreopsis tinctoria
Coreopsis tinctoria — golden tickseed
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Golden tickseed is a widely-grown garden ornamental, and has spread throughout the eastern United States. It is outside its native range in New England. This plant may be used to make a rich, red dye, and a tea of the plant was drunk by Zuni women desiring a female baby.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- green to brown
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 10–60 mm
- Flower head width
- 25–52 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract inner side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- at least some flower heads have bracts connected to one another at or near their bases
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- the main bracts are of a different shape than the given options
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
-
- the bracts appear thin, flexible and nearly translucent
- the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip color
- the tips are the same color as the center of the bract
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- the tips of the bracts are rounded
- Bracts
- there are at least two distinct forms of bracts in different cycles
- Disk flower color
- pink to red
- Disk flower lobe number
- 4
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 6-10
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has papery scales on it
- Flower head platform surface
- the scales are smooth, no visible hairs
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
- the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder
- Flower head width
- 25–52 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 4–9 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 14–18
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Ovary wing number
-
- 0
- 1-2
- Peduncle hair type
- NA
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 10–150 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- green to brown
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
-
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- there are neither carpels nor stamens in the ray flowers
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 11-15
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 12–18 mm
- Reproductive system
-
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
- Width of flower head base
- 4–25 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 0
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.5–4 mm
- Ovary width in developed fruit
- 0.6–0.8 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- there is no pappus on the ovary
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
-
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade hairs
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 10–60 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is filiform (extremely narrow, thread-like)
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 5–25 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk length
- 2–60 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- NA
- Stem internode hair length
- 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
var. tinctoria
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Coreopsis basalis:
- disk corollas mostly 5-lobed and outer series of involucral bracts nearly or fully as long as the inner series (vs. C. tinctoria, with disk corollas mostly 4-lobed and outer series of involucral bracts much shorter than the inner series).
Synonyms
- Coreopsis cardaminifolia (DC.) Torr. & Gray
- Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. var. imminuta Sherff
Family
Genus
Notes on subspecies and varieties in New England
Our variety is Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. var. tinctoria.
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
8. Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. var. tinctoria E
golden tickseed. Coreopsis cardaminifolia (DC.) Torr. & Gray; C. tinctoria Nutt. var. imminuta Sherff • CT, MA, ME, RI, VT. Fields, roadsides, waste areas, dumps.