''Rudbeckia'' () is a plant genus in the

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

or composite family. Rudbeckia flowers feature a prominent, raised central disc in black, brown shades of green, and in-between tones, giving rise to their familiar common names of coneflowers and black-eyed-susans. All are native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, and many species are cultivated in gardens for their showy yellow or gold flower heads that bloom in mid to late summer. The species are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

, mostly

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s (some

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

or biennial plant, biennial) growing to 0.5–3.0 m tall, with simple or branched stems. The leaf, leaves are spirally arranged, entire to deeply lobed, and 5–25 cm long. The flowers are produced in Leucanthemum vulgare, daisy-like inflorescences, with yellow or orange florets arranged in a prominent, cone-shaped head; "cone-shaped" because the ray florets tend to point out and down (are decumbent) as the flower head opens. A large number of species have been proposed within ''Rudbeckia'', but most are now regarded as synonym (biology), synonyms of the limited list given below. Several currently accepted species have several accepted varieties. Some of them (for example the black-eyed susan, ''Rudbeckia hirta, R. hirta''), are popular garden flowers distinguished for their long flowering times. Many cultivars of these species are known. ''Rudbeckia'' is one of at least four genus, genera within the flowering plant family

whose members are commonly known as coneflowers; the others are ''Echinacea'', ''Dracopis'', and ''Ratibida''. ''Rudbeckia'' species are eaten by the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species including cabbage moths and dot moths.

Etymology

The name was given by Carolus Linnaeus to honor his patron and fellow botanist at Uppsala University, Olof Rudbeck the Younger (1660–1740), as well as Rudbeck's late father Olof Rudbeck the Elder (1630–1702), a distinguished Natural philosophy, Naturalist, Philologist, and Doctor of Medicine (he had discovered the lymphatic system), and founder of Sweden's first botanic garden, now the Linnaean Garden at Uppsala. In 1730 Linnaeus had been invited into the home of the younger Rudbeck (now almost 70) as tutor of his youngest children. Rudbeck had then recommended Linnaeus to replace him as a lecturer at the university and as the botanical garden demonstrator, even though Linnaeus was only in his second year of studies. In his book ''The Compleat Naturalist: A Life of Linnaeus'', Wilfred Blunt quotes Linnaeus's dedication:

So long as the earth shall survive and as each spring shall see it covered with flowers, the Rudbeckia will preserve your glorious name. I have chosen a ''noble'' plant in order to recall your merits and the services you have rendered, a ''tall'' one to give an idea of your stature, and I wanted it to be one which branched and which flowered and fruited freely, to show that you cultivated not only the sciences but also the humanities. Its rayed flowers will bear witness that you shone among savants like the sun among the stars; its perennial roots will remind us that each year sees you live again through new works. Pride of our gardens, the Rudbeckia will be cultivated throughout Europe and in distant lands where your revered name must long have been known. Accept this plant, not for what it is but for what it will become when it bears your name.

Species

, the following species were accepted by Plants of the World Online. The following species were formerly included in the genus. * ''Echinacea atrorubens'' (as ''R. atrorubens'') * ''Echinacea pallida'' (as ''R. pallida'') * ''Echinacea purpurea'' (as ''R. purpurea'') * ''Helianthus angustifolius'' (as ''R. angustifolia'') * ''Helianthus porteri'' (as ''R. porteri'') * ''Helianthus radula'' (as ''R. radula'') * ''Ratibida columnifera'' (as ''R. columnaris'' or ''R. columnifera'') * ''Ratibida tagetes'' (as ''R. tagetes'')

Uses

Many species are used in prairie restorations, for ornamental use, and by livestock for forage. An abundance of these plants on a rangeland indicates good health. They are deer and rabbit resistant. File:Honey Bee on Rudbeckia.jpg, Honey bee feeding on a coneflower (''Rudbeckia'') File:Rudbeckiahirta1web.jpg, ''Rudbeckia hirta'' File:Rudbeckia.JPG, Prairie restoration File:Rudbeckia 089aweb.jpg, ''Rudbeckia hirta'' File:ピンク・グラジオラス、黄色・ルドベキアRudbeckia 2004年7月10日P7100036.jpg, ''Rudbeckia'' with gladiolus in Japan File:Rudbeckia texana.jpg, ''Rudbeckia texana'' File:Rudbeckia Velvia.jpg, ''Rudbeckia'' in Poland

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{Authority control Rudbeckia, Asteraceae genera Flora of Northern America