Many birds, especially those of the sparrow and finch
tribe, come to feast on the oily seeds; and where is there a more
charming sight than when a family of goldfinches settle upon the
huge, top-heavy heads, unconsciously forming a study in sepia and
gold?
On prairies west of Pennsylvania to South Dakota, Missouri, and
Texas, the SAW-TOOTH SUNFLOWER (H. grosse-serratus) is common.
Deep yellow instead of pale rays around a yellowish disk
otherwise resemble the tall sunflower's heads in appearance as in
season of bloom. The smooth stalk, with a bluish-hoary bloom on
its surface, may have hairs on the branches only. Long,
lance-shaped, pointed leaves, the edges of lower ones especially
sharply saw-toothed, their upper surface rough, and underneath
soft-hairy, are on slender, short petioles, the lower ones
opposite, the upper ones alternate. Honeybees find abundant
refreshment in the tubular disk florets in which many of their
tribe may be caught sucking; brilliant little Syrphidae, the
Bombilius cheat, and other flies come after pollen; butterflies
feast here on nectar, too and greedy beetles, out for pollen,
often gnaw the disks with their pinchers.
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