Wildflowers of the United States

Home Journal Family Index - All States Photo Albums News About Privacy

Cutleaf Rosinweed, Cutleaf Prairie Dock, Tansy Rosinweed, Southern Dock - Silphium pinnatifidum


Family: Asteraceae - Aster family Genus Common Name: Rosinweed Native Status: NativeDicot Perennial Herb
Silphium pinnatifidum - Cutleaf Rosinweed, Cutleaf Prairie Dock, Tansy Rosinweed, Southern Dock. Rosinweeds look very similar to sunflowers, but the seeds form from the ray flowers in rosinweeds, and from the disk flowers in sunflowers. Silphium pinnatifidum can be to 10' tall, and has numerous heads on branching, nearly leafless stems. S. pinnatifidum is considered by some botanists to be a variety of S. terebinthinaceum, with the primary difference being the deeply lobed (almost to the central vein) leaves in S. pinnatifidum. The basal floret of leaves in S. terebinthinaceum are spade-like.

Found in:
AL, GA, IL, IN, KY, TN, WI

Journal Articles Referencing Rosinweed

Leave comments on Silphium pinnatifidum at this link.
Silphium pinnatifidum

Distribution of Silphium pinnatifidum in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key

Search Our Database: Enter any portion of the Scientific, Common Name, or both.
Scientific name:
Common name:

Example: Enter "lob" in the common name field and you'll get all our species that have "lobelia" in the common name, as well as "sharp-lobed hepatica".

Do a general Google search of the entire site:


#ad

Follow on Twitter
Follow USWildflowers on Twitter



Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2009-September-14Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D60
2 secf/16 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv) Flash:
Cutleaf rosinweed may have 13-21 yellow ray flowers and numerous yellow disk flowers.
Silphium pinnatifidum

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-14Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1.3 secf/10 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
Each Silphium pinnatifidum blossom forms at the end of a branch, which usually arises from a clasping, greatly reduced leaf bract along the stem.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Silphium pinnatifidum

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-14Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/400f/5.0 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
Rosinweed blossoms (genus Silphium) look very much like sunflower blossoms (genus Helianthus.) However, the seeds come from the ray flowers in Silphium, and from the disk flowers in Helianthus.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Silphium pinnatifidum

Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-14Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/4.0 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
A key identifier for Silphium pinnatifidum is the basal rosette of tall, deeply lobed leaves. The leaves may be 30" or more tall, split more or less evenly between the stalk and the leaf.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Silphium pinnatifidum

#ad
Silphium pinnatifidum initially published on USWildflowers.com 2009-09-15; Updated 2016-04-10

Commercial / Cookie Notice

Looking for Wildflowers for a specific state? Check here:



All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer



Code Update 20230302