Annuals, 10-50+ cm. Aerial nodes proximal to first peduncle usually 5-10+, distalmost 1-3 internodes 4-7(-10) cm. Leaves: basal and cauline on proximal ³/4-⁷/8 of plant heights; petioles 8-35(-120) mm; blades simple or 1(-2)-pinnately lobed with 3-9+ lobes, simple blades or terminal lobes elliptic or lanceolate to oblanceolate or linear, 25-55+ × (1-)2-9(-20) mm. Peduncles 6-15+ cm. Calyculi of lance-deltate to linear bractlets 6-9(-12+) mm. Phyllaries lance-ovate, 7-9+ mm. Ray laminae yellow, usually each with a proximal, red-brown to purple spot or band, 15-20+ mm. Disc corollas 3-4 mm, apices red-brown to purple. Cypselae 1.2-1.8 mm, wingless (margins ± inrolled adaxially, ± corky). 2n = 26.

Flowering Apr-Jun. Sandy soils in open, often disturbed, places; 10-300+ m; Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tex.

Plants in the western part of the distribution of Coreopsis basalis usually have narrower lobes of leaf blades and narrower outer phyllaries; such plants have been treated as C. wrightii or as C. basalis var. wrightii.

A usually smaller sp. with 5-toothed disk-cors and with the outer invol bracts half to fully as long as the inner, is occasionally found in our range as an escape from cult.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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