The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Helenium autumnale

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

longdisk sneezeweed

Habit Perennials, 50–130 cm. Annuals, 30–100 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 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;

blades narrowly elliptic to lance-linear, usually entire;

proximal blades sometimes pinnately lobed.

Peduncles

3–10 cm, moderately to densely hairy.

3–13 cm, sparsely to moderately hairy.

Involucres

globoid, 8–20 × 8–23 mm.

ovoid to conic, 7–11(–14) × 6–11 mm.

Ray florets

8–21, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellow, 10–23 × 4–10 mm.

10–15, pistillate, fertile;

corollas yellow, 7–12.4 × 4–8.8 mm.

Disc florets

200–400(–800+);

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

225–500+;

corollas yellow proximally, yellow to brown to reddish brown distally, 1.1–1.8 mm, lobes 4.

Phyllaries

(connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy.

(connate proximally) sparsely to densely hairy.

Heads

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

5–15(–50+) 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.

0.6–1.2 mm, moderately hairy;

pappi of usually 6 entire, non-aristate scales 0.1–0.3 mm.

2n

= 32, 34, 36.

= 26.

Helenium autumnale

Helenium quadridentatum

Phenology Flowering (Jul–)Aug–Oct(–Nov). Flowering Mar–Jun (year round).
Habitat Roadsides, fields, along streams, ditches, seepage areas, around ponds and lakes Sandy or clay soils, ditches, around ponds and lakes, along streams
Elevation 20–2600 m (100–8500 ft) 0–1800 m (0–5900 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
AL; LA; MS; PA; TX; Mexico; West Indies (Cuba); Central America (Belize, Guatemala)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Helenium quadridentatum is introduced in Pennsylvania.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 431. FNA vol. 21, p. 434.
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. pinnatifidum, H. puberulum, 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 886. (1753) Labillardière: Actes Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 1: 22, plate 4. (1792)
Web links