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- Asteraceae Group 6
- Ratibida
- Ratibida columnifera
Ratibida columnifera — prairie Mexican-hat
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Facts
Macoun's rabbit-tobacco is an annual or biennial with a sweet smell. The Miwok used this species internally to treat colds and stomach ache and externally as a poultice to reduce swelling.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- 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
-
- blue to purple
- 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
- 20–150 mm
- Flower head width
- 7–12 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- 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 keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy, with simple hairs on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- 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 extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- NA
- Bract tip orientation
- the tips of the bracts curve outwards and downwards from the plant
- Bract tip shape
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- Bract width
- 0.5–2
- Bracts
- there are at least two distinct forms of bracts in different cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- yellow
- Disk flower number
- 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
- Disk width
- 7.5–10 mm
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has four or more 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 slightly hairy, at least near the top
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
-
- NA
- the disk is conical across the top
- Flower head shape
- NA
- Flower head width
- 7–12 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
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Inflorescence stem
- hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 5–15
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
-
- in profile, the ovary is lanceolate (widest below the middle, tapering to both ends)
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- in profile, the ovary is very narrow
- Peduncle hair type
- NA
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 15–480 mm
- Peduncle orientation
- the flower heads are held upright, or slightly angled outwards
- Ray flower color
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- there are neither carpels nor stamens in the ray flowers
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 11-15
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 7–35 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- the scales are blunt, with a terminal notch, or straight across the top
- 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
- Width of flower head base
- 8–16 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
-
- 0
- 2
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.2–3 mm
- Ovary width in developed fruit
- 1.2–2 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0–2
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
- 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
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- 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 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 fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- 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 no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 20–150 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and 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 rounded, with no point
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 8–60 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 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
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
-
- the hairs are pressed flat against the plant, pointing either towards the plant's tip or towards it's base
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Woot. & Standl. E
prarie Mexican-hat. Ratibida columnaris (Sims) D. Don; Rudbeckia columnifera Nutt.; Lepachys columnifera (Nutt.) J.F. Macbr. • CT, MA. Fields, roadsides, waste areas.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Ratibida pinnata:
- disk ellipsoid to spherical, 10–25 x 10–18 mm, plants from fibrous roots, and pappus usually absent (vs. R. columnifera, with disk cylindric, 10–50 x 7–12 mm, plants from a taproot, and pappus usually consisting of 1 or 2 tooth-like scales).
Synonyms
- Lepachys columnifera (Nutt.) J.F. Macbr.
- Ratibida columnaris (Sims) D. Don
- Rudbeckia columnifera Nutt.