**Hybrid Speciation:**
– Salsifies exhibit hybrid speciation.
– Introduced three goatbeard species into North America in the early 1900s.
– Two new species discovered in Idaho and Washington in the 1950s.
– Tragopogon miscellus is a tetraploid hybrid of T. dubius and T. pratensis.
– Tragopogon mirus is an allopolyploid hybrid of T. dubius and T. porrifolius.
**Species:**
– Accepted species include T. acanthocarpus, T. afghanicus, T. agrostiphyllus, T. alaicus, T. albinerve.
– T. dubius is known as western salsify, yellow salsify, or common salsify.
– T. porrifolius is referred to as salsify, purple salsify, or goatsbeard.
– T. mirabilis is known as Ontario goatsbeard.
– T. miscellus is called hybrid goats-beard or Moscow salsify.
**Characteristics:**
– Salsifies are forbs with taproots and milky sap.
– They have few upright branches and grass-like leaves.
– Flower color varies within the genus.
– Seeds are achenes dispersed by the wind.
– Species are native to Europe and Asia, with some introduced to North America and Australia.
**Common Names:**
– Common names for Tragopogon species include goats beard, goatsbeard, and salsify.
– Some species are known by ambiguous names.
– Names like goats beard and salsify are used for multiple species.
– Common names can be misleading and best avoided.
– The first common name listed is usually the most widely used.
**References:**
– Lectotype designated by C. Díaz de la Guardia Guerrero et G. Blanca López.
– Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist.
– USDA, NRCS provides information in The PLANTS Database.
– Tragopogon facts can be found on the USDA website.
– Reference to Tragopogon can be made through Tropicos.