I found these near the trailhead of one of my favorite walks. They are also sometimes called Gloriosa Daisies, Poorland Daisies, and Yellow Ox-eye Daisies. I love knowing the various names given to a single flower because it reflects so much of what different groups of people in different regions thought of the plant.
This plant is native to North America, and is related to the Purple Coneflower, which is similarly structured.
The scientific name for this flower is Rudbeckia hirta. Where does this come from? Rudbeckia honors a famous botanits named Olaus Rudbeck, born in 1660. Linnaus, who had been a student of Rudbeck's, named a whole genus of flowers after him. And the "hirta" part? That is related to the word "hirsute" and refers to the hairy leaves and stems. (You can see the hairs on the stems in both pictures.) So there you have it.
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