''Tragopogon mirus'', the remarkable goatsbeard, is a plant species considered native to certain regions of North America. Intensive studies over the course of many years have demonstrated that it originated as an

allopolyploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

between '' T. dubius'' and '' T. porrifolius'', both of which are European species naturalized in the US. ''Tragopogon mirus'' has become established in the wild, reproducing by its own, thus deserving recognition as a species.Ownbey, M. 1950. Natural hybridization and amphiploidy in the genus ''Tragopogon''. American Journal of Botany 37:487-499. ''Tragopogon mirus'' is an herb up to 150 cm (60 inches) tall. Leaves are slightly tomentose when young, nearly glabrous when fully mature. Leaf apices are straight, not curved or coiled as in some other species of the genus. Flower heads are purple to brownish purple with a yellow center.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15411634 mirus Flora of Washington (state) Flora of Idaho Plants described in 1950 Flora without expected TNC conservation status