Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. - Pale Coneflower
Family - Asteraceae
Stems - Typically single from the base, to 1m tall, simple, typically purplish, scabrous because of papillose-hispid hairs, herbaceous, erect, hollow below inflorescence.
Leaves - Mostly basal. Cauline leaves alternate. Basal leaves to +/-30cm long, +/-4cm broad. Blade linear-spatulate, entire, scabrous from papillose-hispid hairs, (the hairs stiff and curled, especially below). Cauline leaves like the basal leaves but reduced, sometimes with very shallow teeth. All leaves with 3 main veins.
Inflorescence - Single, large flower head terminating stem.
Involucre - Phyllaries imbricate, spreading, to 8mm long, 3mm broad, subulate, glabrous internally, hispid externally, solid green in upper 1/2, green striped in lower 1/2.
Ray flowers - Sterile. Achenes 3-sided, glabrous, 4mm long in flower. Ligules pale pink to rose, to +/-5cm long, +/-7mm broad, 3-notched at apex, glabrous except for a few hairs at the base externally.
Disc flowers - Disk to +/-3cm in diameter. Corollas deep purplish-red, glabrous, 5-lobed, to 5mm long. Lobes acute, -2mm long, erect. Stamens 5, adnate to the base of the corolla tube, included. Filaments compressed, (winged), whitish-yellow, +/-2mm long. Anthers dark brown, 2mm long, convergent around the style. Style bifurcate, exserted, glabrous except at apex, brownish red at apex, pale yellow below, +5mm long. Chaff stiff, glabrous, reddish-purple at apex, folded around the disk florets, +1cm long, with a short bristle tip. Receptacle conic.
Flowering - May - July.
Habitat - Drier areas of prairies, glades, roadsides, railroads.
Origin - Native to U.S.
Other info. - This striking species can be found throughout Missouri except in a few bootheel counties and a few counties in the extreme northeastern corner of the state.
Photographs taken near Stegal Mountain, MO., 6-13-05, and off County Road 2010, Lawrence County, MO., 6-16-05.