Yellow Ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia)
- Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
- Flowering: August-October.
- Field Marks: Most species of Verbesina have winged stems. In addition, this species has 2-10 drooping yellow ray flowers.
- Habitat: Low woods, wet meadows, along streams.
- Habit: Perennial herb with rhizomes.
- Stems: Erect, branched, usually winged, hairy, up to 6 feet tall.
- Leaves: The lower usually opposite, the upper alternate, lanceolate to oblong to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, toothed or without teeth, hairy, up to 10 inches long, up to 3 1/2 inches broad.
- Flowers: Many flowers crowded into many yellow heads; each head subtended by a few bracts and composed of 2-10 flat ray flowers up to 1 1/2 inches long and a few tubular disk flowers.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 5, some united to form flat rays, others united to form tubular flowers.
- Stamens: 5.
- Pistils: Ovary inferior, smooth.
- Fruits: Achenes flat, smooth, sometimes winged, with 2-3 short awns at the tip.
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