Perennial Gaillardia

Plants with both ray and disc corollas wholly or mostly yellow to cream or white have been treated as a distinct species (Gaillardia lutea) or as varieties [G. aestivalis var. chrysantha (Small) Cronquist and G. aestivalis var. winkleri (Cory) B. L. Turner]. B. L. Turner (1979) formally recognized three varieties of G. aestivalis in the broad sense: var. aestivalis with purple discs, var. chrysantha with yellow discs, and var. winkleri with white discs. Although plants with yellow or white corollas may occur as local populations and may be distinguished by different ploidy levels, failing one or more additional distinguishing morphologic traits, they do not, in my opinion, merit formal taxonomic recognition.

Perennials (sometimes flowering first year) 10–60+ cm (sometimes rhizomatous). Leaves cauline; petiolar bases 0–3+ cm; blades narrowly elliptic, linear, obovate, or spatulate, 15–60 × 3–12(–22) mm, (bases of distal often clasping) margins remotely toothed or entire, faces usually closely scabrellous (hairs sometimes crisped). Peduncles 1–10(–20) cm. Phyllaries 15–26, lance-ovate to lanceolate, 6–14+ mm, scabrellous. Receptacular setae 0 or 0.1–0.5+ mm. Ray florets usually 6–12(–15), sometimes 0; corollas pinkish to purple or yellow to cream or white, 13–25 mm. Disc florets 20–60(–100+); corollas yellow or purple to purple-brown or bicolored, tubes 0.5–1 mm, throats stoutly cylindric to campanulate or urceolate, 3.5–5 mm, lobes attenuate-terete, 1.5–3 mm, jointed hairs to 0.3 mm. Cypselae 1.5–2 mm, hairs 1 mm, inserted at bases and on angles and faces; pappi of 8–10 lanceolate, aristate scales 5–7 mm (scarious bases 2–3.5 × 0.6–1 mm). 2n = 34, 68.

Helenium aestivale Walter, Fl. Carol., 210. 1788; Gaillardia aestivalis var. flavovirens (C. Mohr) Cronquist; G. chrysantha Small; G. fastigiata Greene; G. lanceolata Michaux; G. lanceolata var. fastigiata (Greene) Waterfall; G. lanceolata var. flavovirens C. Mohr; G. lutea Greene

Gaillardia fastigiata Greene, Pittonia 5: 57. 1902
A caulescent biennial; stem 3-4 cm. high, canescent-puberulent, with short, more or less spreading branches; lower leaves spatulate, undulate or toothed, 5-8 cm. long, scabrouspuberulent; upper stem-leaves oblanceolate or linear-oblong, acute, sessile; peduncles 1-4 cm. long; bracts lanceolate, acute or the inner acuminate, canescent, about 1 cm. long; fimbrillae of the receptacle short, conic; ray-flowers neutral; ligules 10-12 mm. long, wholly yellow or copper-red at the base; disk purple, 15-20 mm. broad; corollas 6 mm. long; tube less than
1 mm. long; throat cylindro-campanulate; lobes subulate, glandular-puberulent; achenes
2 mm. long, comparatively short-hirsute; squamellae narrowly lanceolate, with the awn equaling the corolla.
Typb locality: Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Distribution: Kansas to Texas.

Gaillardia chrysantha Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 1293. 1903
? Gaillardia lanceolata flavovirens C. Mohr, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 6: 812. 1901.
A caulescent annual or biennial; stems 3-6 dm. high, usually with more or less spreading
branches, puberulent; basal leaves petioled; blades spatulate or elliptic, 5-6 cm. long, dentate,
more or less short-pubescent on both sides; stem-leaves oblanceolate, oblong or the upper
oblong-linear, sessile, 2-8 cm. long, undulate, sinuately toothed, or entire; peduncles 1-2 dm.
long; involucral bracts 7-1 1 mm. long, the outer ovate, the inner lanceolate, acute, canescent-
strigose; fimbrillae of the receptacle short, conic; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, 8-12
mm. long, flabelliform, 3-lobed about one-third their length; disk yellow, 10-15 mm. broad;
corollas 6-7 mm. long; tube less than 1 mm. long, glabrous; throat cylindro-campanulate;
lobes subulate from a broad base, glandular-puberulent; achenes 2-3 mm. long, comparatively
short-hirsute; squamellae linear-lanceolate, attenuate into an awn, together equaling the
corolla.
Type locality: Bowie County, Texas.
Distribution: Western Arkansas to Alabama and Texas. .

Gaillardia lutea Greene, Pittonia 5: 57. 1902
A coarse, caulescent annual or biennial; stem roughish-puberulent or cinereous, 4-6 dm, high, with ascending branches; stem-leaves sessile, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, coarsely serrate with calloustipped teeth, 3-6 cm. long, densely rough-puberulent on both sides; peduncles 3-6 cm. long; bracts lanceolate or the outer ovate, grayish-strigose ; fimbrillae short and soft; ray-flowers neutral, yellow; ligules about 12 mm. long, cuneate-flabelliform, 3-cleft one third their length; disk yellow; corollas 6-7 mm. long; tube less than 1 mm. long; throat cylindro-campanulate, puberulent ; lobes subulate from a broad base, glandular-puberulent; achenes 2 mm. long, comparatively short-hirsute; squamellae linear-lanceolate, attenuate, with the awn equaling the corolla.
Type locality: Maiden, Missouri.
Distribution: Missouri.

Gaillardia lanceolata Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 142. 1803
Gaillardia bicolor Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 572, in part. 1814. Not G. bicolor Lam. 1788. Polypleris integrifolia DC. Prodr. 5: 659, in part. 1836.
A caulescent annual or biennial; stem 3-7 dm. high, cinereous-puberulent, with slender more or less spreading branches; lower leaves oblanceolate or spatulate, petioled, 5-10 cm. long, dentate or sinuate, hirsutulous-puberulent on both sides; stem-leaves oblanceolate, oblong, or linear, entire or remotely serrate, sessile, 2-8 cm. long, acute; peduncles 5-20 cm. long; involucral bracts oblong to lanceolate, 8-12 mm. long, acute or acuminate, more or less canescent; fimbrillae of the receptacle short or obsolete; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, cuneate, 1-2 cm. long, three-cleft; disk 1-1.5 cm. or in fruit up to 2 cm. broad, purple; corollas 6-7 mm. long; tube 1 mm. long; throat cylindro-campanulate; lobes subulate from a broad base; achenes 2 mm. long, comparatively short-hirsute; squamellae narrowly lanceolate, with the awn equaling the corollas.
Type locality: Carolina.
Distribution: South Carolina to Florida, Texas, and Kansas.

Gaillardia rigida Small, sp. nov
Gaillardia fastigiata Small, Fl. vSE. U. S. 1293, mainly. 1903. Not G. fastigiata Greene. 1902.
A caulescent annual or biennial; stem 2-4 dm. high, simple or with a few rigid, erect
branches, canescent-puberulent; lower leaves short-petioled, elliptic or spatulate, remotely
serrate or undulate, 4-6 cm. long, densely scabrous-puberulent; upper stem-leaves linear or
rarely oblong, acute, sessile; peduncles 3-10 cm. long; bracts ova.te-lanceolate or lanceolate,
8-11 mm. long, canescent; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, 1.5-2 cm. long; disk purple or
brown, 1.5-2 cm. broad; corollas about 7 mm. long; tube 1 mm. long; throat puberulent, cylin-
dro-campanulate; achenes 2 mm. long, short-hirsute; squamellae narrowly lanceolate, with
the awn equaling the corolla.
Type collected at Fort Smith, Arkansas, Bigelow 219 (herb. Columbia Univ.). Distribution: Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Gaillardia serotina is a North American species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the southeastern United States. Flower heads are yellow, each with 12 ray flowers. Leaves are sessile (lacking a petiole), and with teeth along the edges.