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Coreopsis tinctoria

atkinson's coreopsis, calliopsis, Columbia coreopsis, coreopsis, golden tick-seed, plains coreopsis

Habit Annuals, (10–)30–70(–150+) cm.
Leaves

proximal blades usually 1(–3)-pinnate, terminal lobes lance-ovate to oblanceolate, 10–60 × 5–25 mm;

cauline blades usually 1–2(–3)-pinnate, rarely simple, simple blades or terminal lobes lance-linear to linear or filiform, 10–45 × 0.5–2(–5+) mm.

Peduncles

1–5(–15+) cm.

Ray laminae

usually yellow with red-brown blotch, sometimes red-brown in proximal 1/3–9/10 and distally yellow, rarely yellow throughout, 12–18+ mm.

Disc corollas

2.5–3+ mm.

Phyllaries

± lance-oblong to lance-ovate, 4–7(–9) mm.

Calyculi

of deltate-lanceolate bractlets 1–3+ mm.

Cypselae

1.5–3(–4+) mm, wings 0 or 0.1–0.7+ mm wide;

pappi 0, or of 1–2 cusps or subulate scales 0.1–1+ mm.

2n

= 24 (+ 0–2 Bs).

Coreopsis tinctoria

Phenology Flowering year round, mostly Jun–Aug.
Habitat Moist, sandy or clay soils, sometimes alkaline flats, prairies, ditches, disturbed places
Elevation (0–)20–1500(–2000) m ((0–)100–4900(–6600) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; SK; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
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Discussion

Coreopsis tinctoria is widely grown in public and residential gardens, and commercially (for cut flowers), and has become widely established in the flora area.

As here circumscribed, Coreopsis tinctoria includes plants that others (without agreement among themselves) have treated as distinct species or infraspecific taxa: C. atkinsoniana (plants mostly 50–150+ cm, seldom branched from bases; cypselae 2.5–3 mm, “narrowly” winged; pappi 0.1–0.2 mm; mostly Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington), C. cardaminefolia (plants mostly 20–50 cm, seldom branched at bases; cypselae 2 mm, “narrowly to widely” winged; pappi 0 or 0.1–0.2 mm; mostly Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas), and C. tinctoria var. similis (plants mostly 10–30 cm, usually branched from bases; cypselae 2–3 mm, “widely” winged; pappi 0.2–1 mm; Texas and Mexico).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 197.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Coreopsidinae > Coreopsis > sect. Calliopsis
Sibling taxa
C. auriculata, C. basalis, C. bigelovii, C. californica, C. calliopsidea, C. delphiniifolia, C. douglasii, C. gigantea, C. gladiata, C. grandiflora, C. hamiltonii, C. integrifolia, C. intermedia, C. lanceolata, C. latifolia, C. leavenworthii, C. major, C. maritima, C. nudata, C. nuecensis, C. palmata, C. pubescens, C. pulchra, C. rosea, C. stillmanii, C. tripteris, C. verticillata
Synonyms C. atkinsoniana, C. cardaminefolia, C. tinctoria var. atkinsoniana, C. tinctoria var. similis
Name authority Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 2: 114. (1821)
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