Clasping-leaved Coneflower

Clasping-leaved Coneflower, Dracopis amplexicaulis in Asteraceae, has large 2 inch diameter flowers that look like Mexican Hat flowers on steroids. Their disk flowers form a cone that can be nearly 2 inches tall, their ray flowers produce yellow petals that are reddish brown where they attach to the flower head. The coloration resembles Mexican hats but the size of the flower is an indication that they are not, and their leaves have no stalk and surround the stem hence the name clasping-leaved. In contrast, the leaves of Mexican Hat are deeply lobed and the lobes are very narrow and resemble a pinnately compound leaf in terms of arrangement. So, the field characters of Clasping-leaved Coneflower that are important are its stem clasping, undivided leaves and the large cone flowers that resemble Mexican Hats.