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Helenium autumnale

common sneezeweed, fall sneezeweed, hélénie automnale, large-flower sneezeweed, mountain sneezeweed

pretty sneezeweed

Habit Perennials, 50–130 cm. Annuals, 20–120 cm.
Stems

1(–7), branched distally, strongly winged, sparsely to densely hairy proximally, moderately to densely hairy distally.

usually 1, branched distally, moderately to strongly winged, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy.

Leaves

usually moderately to densely hairy, sometimes glabrous;

basal blades (withered by flowering) lanceolate, oblanceolate, or obovate, entire or weakly lobed;

proximal and mid blades obovate to oblanceolate, usually dentate or entire;

distal blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, entire or dentate.

glabrous or sparsely hairy (basal withered by flowering);

proximal and mid blades lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, entire, serrate, or irregularly toothed or lobed;

distal blades lanceolate to linear, entire.

Peduncles

3–10 cm, moderately to densely hairy.

2–14 cm, moderately to densely hairy.

Involucres

globoid, 8–20 × 8–23 mm.

globoid, 5–11 × 5–12(–13) mm.

Ray florets

8–21, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellow, 10–23 × 4–10 mm.

10–17, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellow throughout or red-brown to red proximally and yellow distally, 5.5–15(–19) × 2.2–5.5(–8.7) mm.

Disc florets

200–400(–800+);

corollas yellow proximally, yellow to yellow-brown distally, 2.4–4 mm, lobes 5.

150–700+;

corollas yellow proximally, yellow to brown to usually reddish brown distally, 1.5–2.3(–2.5) mm, lobes 5.

Phyllaries

(connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy.

(connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy.

Heads

5–70(–100+) per plant, in paniculiform arrays.

20–200+ per plant, in paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–2 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy;

pappi of 5–7 entire, aristate scales (0.5–)0.9–1.5(–1.8) mm.

0.6–1 mm, moderately hairy;

pappi of 6–7 entire, non-aristate scales 0.05–0.3(–0.4) mm.

2n

= 32, 34, 36.

Helenium autumnale

Helenium elegans

Phenology Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Oct(–Nov).
Habitat Roadsides, fields, along streams, ditches, seepage areas, around ponds and lakes
Elevation 20–2600 m (100–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; OK; TX; n Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Proximal leaves usually entire, rarely serrate; involucres 5–8 × 5–8 mm
var. elegans
1. Proximal leaves usually irregularly toothed or lobed; involucres 7–11 × 8–12(–13) mm
var. amphibolum
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 431. FNA vol. 21, p. 433.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium
Sibling taxa
H. amarum, H. arizonicum, H. bigelovii, H. bolanderi, H. brevifolium, H. campestre, H. drummondii, H. elegans, H. flexuosum, H. linifolium, H. microcephalum, H. pinnatifidum, H. puberulum, H. quadridentatum, H. thurberi, H. vernale, H. virginicum
H. amarum, H. arizonicum, H. autumnale, H. bigelovii, H. bolanderi, H. brevifolium, H. campestre, H. drummondii, H. flexuosum, H. linifolium, H. microcephalum, H. pinnatifidum, H. puberulum, H. quadridentatum, H. thurberi, H. vernale, H. virginicum
Subordinate taxa
H. elegans var. amphibolum, H. elegans var. elegans
Synonyms H. autumnale var. canaliculatum, H. autumnale var. fylesii, H. autumnale var. grandiflorum, H. autumnale var. montanum, H. autumnale var. parviflorum, H. latifolium, H. parviflorum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 886. (1753) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 667. (1836)
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