Gaillardia (Blanket-flower, Bandana Daisy, Rose-ring Gaillardia, Indian Blanket)

Scientific Name - Gaillardia pulchella Foug.
Family - Compositae

Annual or short-lived, erect perennial from a taproot. Leaves hairy. Leaves on the lower part of stem usually broader in the upper half, stalkless or almost so, usually irregularly lobed and toothed. Leaves on the upper part of the stem tending to be narrowly lance-shaped, stalkless, smooth margined or with occasional, irregular teeth. Flowers dark purple, dark purple with yellow tips, or yellow, on long stalks, in heads. Fruit small, hairy, tipped with papery scales. Reproduces by seed. Found in sandy open areas such as roadsides and pastures, especially along the coastal beaches. Occurs from North Carolina south throughout Florida, west to South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado, and California. Also occurs in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies.