Yellow Goat's Beard Mug

Yellow Goat's Beard Mug - Thee Yellow Salsify is also known as Yellow Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius). It is a member of the aster family. It can be found in fields, roadsides. I had never heard of this plant until I discovered a tall plant in our back yard that looked like an enormous dandelion (the seed head is several inches across). This flower has many aliases: yellow salsify, western salsify, western goat's-beard, wild oysterplant, yellow goat's beard, goat's beard, goatsbeard, common salsify, salsify. One descriptive common name "Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon" has to do with the fact that the flowers usually open only during the morning. So you have to get up in the morning to find the flowers open... hehe. We live in a town near Yosemite National Park, where this photo was captured, but I have also found them in Yosemite National Park, along Old Oak Flat Road.