Prairie dock, Silphium terebinthinaceum (say that five times fast). I think prairie dock is a very photogenic plant. It's large basal leaves show an intricate network of veins when lit from behind. From the flower here, it's obvious that prairie dock is related to the sunflower. I purposely shot this photo using a wide aperture on a telephoto lens to produce an image with the flower and buds in sharp focus, but a background that is out of focus.