Drooping Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower, Grey-Headed Coneflower, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

ruh-TIB-ih-duh  pin-NAY-tuh

Synonyms of Ratibida pinnata (11) (Updated on 12-3-23 from Plants of the World Online): Helianthus pinnatus (Vent.) E.H.L.Krause (1905), Lepachys angustifolia Torr. & A.Gray (1842)(pro syn.), Lepachys pinnata (Vent.) Torr. & A.Gray (1842), Lepachys pinnatifida Raf. (1819)(nom. superfl.), Obeliscaria pinnata (Vent.) Cass. (1825), Rudbeckia cinerea DC. (1836), Rudbeckia citriodora Steud. (1821), Rudbeckia digitata Willd. (1803), Rudbeckia laevis Hoffmanns. (1826), Rudbeckia odorata Pursh (1813), Rudbeckia pinnata Vent. (1802)

Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnhart is the accepted scientific name for this species of Ratibida. It was named and described as such by John Hendley Barnhart in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club in 1897. It was first named and described as Rudbeckia pinnata by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in Description des Plantes Nouvelles in 1802.

The genus, Ratibida Raf., was named and described by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review in 1818.

As of 12-3-23 when this page was created, Plants of the World Online lists 7 species in the Ratibida genus. It is a member of the plant family Asteraceae with 1,702 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Ratibida pinnata is from the USDA Plants Database. Areas in green are where the species is native. The map on Plants of the World Online doesn’t include a few states on the East Coast and indicates the species has been introduced to Czechoslovakia and Italy. No map is perfect and the species could have a broader range.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. You can see by the map on iNaturalist, the species appears to have a broader range… 

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

Ratibida pinnata (Gray-Headed Coneflower) don’t grow on the farm, but there are a few colonies south of town. I took the top photo along a back road in 2019 and the above photo in 2021. I had been noticing these plants in this field for several years since a good friend lives in the area. Most of the time I didn’t have my camera, and other times a vehicle would be behind me (which is what happened when I took the above shot). There are several plants growing along the road next to this field, but they were always covered with dust or weren’t photo quality.

Common names include Drooping Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower, Grey-Headed Coneflower,  Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, and possibly others.

There are more photos I took along another back road on June 22 in 2022 at the bottom of the page below the links. The photos I took on July 9 were much better…

I found several small colonies along Brandon Road south of town just off of County Line Road. The wind was blowing a little so I took quite a few shots to get a few good photos.

I always thought these plants were Echinacea paradoxa, but the photos I took in 2022 clearly showed they were Ratidiba pinnata.

During the winter months when there aren’t photos to take, I make updates on this site. I update the pages (species and synonyms do change), add new photos to old pages, write new pages, and try to get caught up on writing descriptions. I will come back later and write descriptions. There are several good links toward the bottom of the page to websites that provide AWESOME descriptions. For me, writing descriptions in “layman’s terms” is difficult and seems to take a long time. 🙂 You can read more technical terminology from the links below.

Well, the photo of the stems from June 22 was better than what I took on July 9 so I snuck it in here. There seems to be an order when it comes to taking plant photos for ID. It’s the whole plant, then the stems, leaves, flowers, a close-up (if possible), then the seeds if possible at some point.

Missouri Plants describes the leaves as being “deeply divided or compound, petiolate to sessile. Blades 4-40 cm long, mostly broadly oblong-ovate to oblong-obovate or oblong-elliptic in outline, those of the undivided leaves usually lanceolate, 1 time deeply pinnately divided or compound, those of the uppermost leaves sometimes undivided, the divisions or leaflets 3-9, 1-15 cm long, entire or deeply toothed or pinnately lobed, narrowly lanceolate to ovate…” Well, I will re-write that description later on. You can use the glossary on the website… 🙂 Some sites may not appreciate others using their wording, so it is best I write my own.

Definitely Ratibida pinnata flowers…

I will try to get better close-ups in 2023 and write descriptions soon… I am very tempted to collect seeds…

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, collecting plants, and identifying wildflowers. The farm is in Pettis County but Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away. I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA PLANT GUIDE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MISSOURI CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
DAVE’S GARDEN
FRIENDS OF THE WILDFLOWER GARDEN
GARDENIA
GO BOTANY
GROWIT BUILDIT
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
 KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
U.S. WILDFLOWERS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

More photos of Ratibida pinnata…