Red Dome Blanketflower From Below

Red Dome Blanketflower (Gaillardia pinnatifida) has just been added to my Wildflowers of Tucson, Arizona website.

I found these Red Dome Blanketflowers growing at about 4000 feet (1219 m) along Redington Road in a grassy field.

These plants were a bit difficult to identify because most of their leaves were linear just like those of Onion Blanketflower (Gaillardia multiceps), but I did find several pinnately-lobed lower leaves on the plants which are characteristic of G. pinnatifida, so that's what I decided they were. I also discovered that G. pinnatifida leaves are variable, with only a few to many pinnately-lobed leaves.