Western Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius)
If you have ever seen what you thought were possibly Dandelions on steroids ~ what you have probably seen is a plant of the Genus Tragopogon. The one pictured here happens to be the Western Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius)
Western Goat's Beard, also known as Sand Goat's Beard, has a very similar relative the Yellow Goat's Beard (Tragopogon pratensis) which is native to Eurasia, but has found it's way into North America. These two species have a very similar appearance and can be difficult to tell apart. One of the best ways is look at the flower, the Western Goat's Beard flower has approximately 13 floral bracts which extend well beyond the flower, while the Yellow Goat's Beard has floral bracts that are shorter and fewer in number (about 8 bracts that extend to the outer margin of the ray florets, but usually not beyond).
The other well known species in this genus, Tragopogon porrifolius (The Oyster Plant), is sometimes cultivated as a root vegetable in gardens, from where it occasionally escapes. However, the flowerheads of the Oyster Plant are purple, rather than yellow.
Western Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius)
If you have ever seen what you thought were possibly Dandelions on steroids ~ what you have probably seen is a plant of the Genus Tragopogon. The one pictured here happens to be the Western Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius)
Western Goat's Beard, also known as Sand Goat's Beard, has a very similar relative the Yellow Goat's Beard (Tragopogon pratensis) which is native to Eurasia, but has found it's way into North America. These two species have a very similar appearance and can be difficult to tell apart. One of the best ways is look at the flower, the Western Goat's Beard flower has approximately 13 floral bracts which extend well beyond the flower, while the Yellow Goat's Beard has floral bracts that are shorter and fewer in number (about 8 bracts that extend to the outer margin of the ray florets, but usually not beyond).
The other well known species in this genus, Tragopogon porrifolius (The Oyster Plant), is sometimes cultivated as a root vegetable in gardens, from where it occasionally escapes. However, the flowerheads of the Oyster Plant are purple, rather than yellow.