Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan)

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Rudbeckia hirta L.

Black-eyed Susan

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Rudbeckia	Named after the Swedish father and son who were professors of botany and predecessors of Linnaeus, Olaus Johannis Rudbeck (1630-1702) and Olaus Olai Rudbeck (1660-1740)
Species	hirta	Hairy

About plant names...

These cheerful North American natives brighten meadows wherever they crop up, which is practically everywhere. Perhaps this explains why they have so many common names. Black-eyed Susans are also popular with gardeners, and many cultivated varieties have been developed.

Identification: Plants are up to 3′ (1 m) tall, but usually closer to half that height. The longest leaves are at the base, where they reach 4-7″ (10-18 cm). The lower leaves are diamond-shaped, with three conspicuous veins. Leaves dwindle in size further up the stems, becoming lance-shaped and covered with fuzzy hairs. Attractive yellow ray flowers up to 3″ (8 cm) in diameter appear atop hairy, rough-feeling stems. The centers are shaped a bit like a beehive, and composed of tiny dark brown or purplish disk flowers.

Online References:

Missouriplants.com

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Floridata.com

Illinois Wildflowers

Wikipedia

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

EFloras

Pearl crescent butterflies (Phyciodes tharos) like this one have a special affinity for these flowers. · 7/20/2013 · Wooden Bridge, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)