http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=13399

Shows Mexican Hat foliage

Thanks for the link. Problem I'm having is that the leaf details vary a lot by age (top vs bottom) of the plant. Attached link shows this a bit better.

The following photo has leaves of the known r. columnifera on the left and one of the "weeds" on the right. Top leaves are from the upper part of the plants and bottom ones from the lower. The new plants already have pretty long tap roots, so may transplant some of the smaller ones and just wait to see what blooms if nobody can distinguish at this stage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ratibida columnifera (MO Plants)

Just confirming they were Mexican hat plants from seed critters must have helped spread about the yard.

Thanks for coming back to us. People rarely do and it's good to know and increase our knowledge.