#wingstems

The North American Wingstems, or Crownbeards, come in a few different shapes and sizes. The ones I am most familiar with is the common Wingstem and the tatty crownbeard,  Verbesina alternifolia and Verbesina occidentalis, which are fairly noticeable in open woodlands where they are most common. This species above, Verbesina encelioides, is sometimes found in open woodlands but seems to favor meadow like openings in forests where direct sun is the primary lighting.  This species gets it’s common name, Golden Crownbeard, from it’s full, golden, sunflower like, capitulum that is much different from the coneflower like capituli of it’s other members. This species is also very important in local grass land communities as it helps slowdown grass spread by preventing germination due to allelopathy. 

In the United States, you may have noticed honeysuckle or garlic mustard taking over an area. Their allelopathic tendency is why they can do that so easily, or at least one of the reasons. This wingstem is native to the United States, but in places like India and China it can be a noxious weed. 

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/b99-097#.XA6YvHRKjtQ

Note: Most crownbeards will have a pubescent wingstem and appressed hair along the sepals of the capitulum, which is why they were named crownbeard or wingstem.