Dracopis amplexicauis
Family: Asteraceae
Description: Annual to 75 cm high with glaucous leaves 2-9 cm long. Heads solitary, 21-4 cm wide. Disk ovoid or cylindric, brown. Rays orange-yellow, usually purple-brown at base;with showy yellow daisy-like flowers. Leaves are toothed to entire and stem-clasping leaves. Simple or branched stems.
Field Identification: The base of the leaves is heart-shaped as they clasp the stem. This characteristic differentiates this from Rudbeckia hirta. This is a small-flowered glabrous composite that resembles Mexican hat (see Ratibida) in flower shape.
Plant Trivia: Leaves clasp the stem at the base, giving the species its name (from Latin amplexus “encircling” and caulis “stem”).
Occurrence: Frequent on sand or clay in bottomlands of San Antonio and Nueces rivers. Also found along ranch roads in prairies NE of Refugio and roadsides west of Victoria. A native central North American from Georgia to Texas and north into Missouri and Kansas.
Bloom Period: April-May
Plant Use: The flowers are rich in nectar, attracting honeybees, native bees, and butterflies, making it valuable for pollinator gardens. Birds may feed on the seeds in fall and winter. Historically, Cherokee Native Americans used the plant for medicinal purposes, including earache relief and tonic teas.
Dichotomous Key: This is the only Genus of Dracopis in our area.
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