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Helenium autumnale

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

southeastern sneezeweed

Habit Perennials, 50–130 cm. Perennials, 30–80 cm.
Stems

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

usually 1, usually unbranched distally, weakly winged, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy proximally, sparsely to moderately hairy distally.

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.

usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy;

basal blades obovate to oblanceolate, usually pinnatifid, sometimes undulate to undulate-serrate, rarely entire;

proximal and mid blades linear-oblanceolate to lance-linear, entire or undulate-serrate;

distal blades lance-linear, entire.

Peduncles

3–10 cm, moderately to densely hairy.

3–20 cm, moderately to densely hairy.

Involucres

globoid, 8–20 × 8–23 mm.

hemispheric, 12–20 × 15–30 mm.

Ray florets

8–21, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellow, 10–23 × 4–10 mm.

13–34, neuter;

corollas yellow, 15–22 × 5–8 mm.

Disc florets

200–400(–800+);

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

250–650(–800+);

corollas yellow proximally, yellow to yellow-brown distally, 4–5.5 mm, lobes 5.

Phyllaries

(connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy.

moderately hairy.

Heads

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

1(–3) per plant, usually borne singly.

Cypselae

1–2 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy;

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

1.2–1.4 mm, moderately hairy;

pappi of 8–11 entire or slightly lacerate, non-aristate scales 1.2–1.5 mm.

2n

= 32, 34, 36.

= 32, 34.

Helenium autumnale

Helenium pinnatifidum

Phenology Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Oct(–Nov). Flowering (Feb–)Mar–Apr(–May).
Habitat Roadsides, fields, along streams, ditches, seepage areas, around ponds and lakes Ditches, other moist areas such as wet woods, bogs, and swamp edges
Elevation 20–2600 m (100–8500 ft) 10–50 m (0–200 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
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 431. FNA vol. 21, p. 429.
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. elegans, H. flexuosum, H. linifolium, H. microcephalum, H. puberulum, H. quadridentatum, H. thurberi, H. vernale, H. virginicum
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 Leptopoda pinnatifida
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 886. (1753) (Schweinitz ex Nuttall) Rydberg: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 34: 130. (1915)
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