| I'm sure I couldn't tell you exactly which Rudbeckia it is you're seeing, but my guess is that it is probably R. hirta, R. laciniata, or possibly R. triloba. R. hirta seems to be fairly common. I was passing through Newcastle yesterday afternoon and saw large stands of Helianthus, Solidago, and Rudbeckia (sunflowers, goldenrod, and blackeyed susans). I could have collected seeds there and created my sunflower border for free! Shucks... Here is the USDA Plants profile page for R. hirta, you can check out the pics for the other species there too... |
Here is a link that might be useful: Rudbeckia
| The other possibility is that it's a Bidens (tickseed) of whatever sort - probably B. aristosa. The stems are slimmer, and there isn't a real heavy center (though you wouldn't know it if you happen to run afoul of the mature seeds, or have to pick them out of a pet's fur!). These are much more common in mass along the roadside than the Helianthus or Rudbeckia (at least in fall), and present a very different picture from the goldenrod. http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHFallWildflowers.htm I don't think there will be a lot of difference, at least in genera, between Northern VA and where you are, based on what I've seen driving. Robin |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bidens aristosa
