This very tall perennial gets its name from the thick, sharply lobed leaves orienting themselves in a north-south direction. it is slow growing and very long lived. Big plants can have up to 100 flowers. It is a major prairie plant in a native range from North Dakota & Minnesota through Michigan and then southward into the deep South and even a little into New Mexico. The Lurie Garden in downtown Chicago has some spread around in their huge naturalistic garden. This is sold by many native plant nurseries for prairie restorations and for naturalistic native plant landscapes.

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The deeply cut large basal leaves are commonly oriented in the N - S direction, hence the name. A common Illinois wildflower partial to prairie habitats and along RR right of ways.
Stem leaves are smaller alternate and tend to clasp the stem. Flower heads are up to 4.5" across w/ 20 to 30 petal-like ray flowers around a central yellow disk.
Omaha and Ponca Indians were reluctant to camp near these plants because they thought the plant attracted lightning. They sometimes burned the plant's dried roots during heavy electrical storm manifestation thinking it a charm against lightning strike.
Root thought to alleviate head colds and head pains by some tribes and early settlers. Dried leaves used to treat dry, persistent coughs and intermittent fevers.

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