Silphium perfoliatum L.

Plants caulescent, 75–300 cm; fibrous rooted. Stems square, glabrous, hispid, or scabrous. Leaves: basal caducous; cauline usually opposite, rarely whorled (in 3s), petiolate or sessile; blades deltate, lanceolate, or ovate, 2–41 × 0.5–24 cm, bases attenuate or truncate (distal connate-perfoliate), margins entire, dentate, or bidentate, apices acuminate to acute, faces scabrous to hispid. Phyllaries 25–37 in 2–3 series, outer appressed, apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces scabrous or hispid. Ray florets 17–35; corollas yellow. Disc florets 85–150 (–200); corollas yellow. Cypselae 8–12 × 5–9 mm; pappi 0.5–1.5 mm.

Rich woods, thickets, river banks and prairies. Wet prairies, open forests, and river bottoms at elevations of 50-500 metres.

The young leaves are cooked and eaten.

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.