Colonies of this 3–6 feet-tall and wide plant with a mass of bushy branches provide fall color with an abundance of yellow flowers. Note the large, rough leaves on stems (petioles) to 2-inches long, and bright-yellow petal-like rays with one notch in the tip.

FLOWER: June–November. The 3/4–1 1/2-inch wide (20–38 mm), yellow flowers bloom on leafless stalks (peduncles), 1–5 1/2-inch long (2.5–14 cm). The flower heads have 10–14 petal-like ray flowers with a single notch in the tip and distinct veins, and a yellow central disk. The phyllaries beneath the rays narrow from a wide base to a rounded or tapered point.

LEAVES: Lower leaves opposite, upper alternate. Blades triangular to elliptical, 1–6-inches long, with stems (petioles) 3/8–2-inches long (10–55 mm), 3 prominent veins from the base; surfaces covered with short, stiff hairs, margins entire or serrated to minutely toothed, tips pointed.

HABITAT: Dry, rocky, sandy soils of open woods, hills, roadsides, disturbed areas; plains, pinyon-juniper woodlands.

ELEVATION: 4,600–7,600 feet.

RANGE: AZ, NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Heartleaf Goldeneye, V. cordifolia, in much the same range, has 6–8 rays, and leaves with shorter stems (petioles), less than 3/8-inch long (8 mm). The ray flowers of Golden Crownbeard, Verbesina encelioides, throughout NM, have tips with three teeth. Showy Goldeneye, Heliomeris multiflora, widespread in w. NM, has narrow leaves.

NM COUNTIES: In the southern and central NM in low- to mid-elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Torrance, San Miguel, Sierra, Socorro, Valencia.