Helenium flexuosumRafinesque [family ASTERACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by M. W. Bierner, Helenium floridanumFernald [family ASTERACEAE ] Verified by Fernald, 1943
Related name
Helenium seminariense
Helenium godfreyi
Leptopoda brachypoda
Helenium flexuosum
Helenium vernale
Helenium floridanum
Helenium nudiflorum
Common name
Purplehead sneezeweed, Flora of North America Vol. 21
hélénie nudiflore, Flora of North America Vol. 21
Flora
Entry for Helenium flexuosum Rafinesque [family COMPOSITAE]
Herbarium
Flora of North America (FNA)
Collection
Flora of North America
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 21,
Names
Helenium flexuosumRafinesque [family COMPOSITAE], New Fl., 4: 81. 1838
Helenium nudiflorumNuttall [family COMPOSITAE]
Treatment Author(s)
Mark W. Bierner
Information
Perennials, 30–100 cm. Stems usually 1, usually branched distally, strongly winged, glabrous or sparsely hairy proximally, sparsely to moderately hairy distally. Leaves glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy; basal blades oblanceolate to obovate or spatulate, entire or serrate; proximal and mid blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, entire or toothed; distal blades lanceolate to lance-linear, entire. Heads (1–)5–50(–80+) per plant, in paniculiform arrays. Peduncles 3–10 cm, sparsely to moderately hairy. Involucres globoid to usually ovoid, 8–17 × 9–17 mm. Phyllaries (connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy. Ray florets usually 8–13, neuter, sometimes 0; corollas yellow to reddish brown to red to purple, 10–20 × 5–10 mm. Disc florets 250–500(–700+); corollas yellow proximally and purple distally or purple throughout, 2.3–3.7 mm, lobes 4(–5). Cypselae 1–1.2 mm, moderately hairy; pappi of 5–6 entire, aristate scales 0.6–1(–1.7) mm. 2n = 28.
It has been suggested that Helenium flexuosum may be of hybrid origin from H. campestre (perennial, 2n = 28) and some member of Helenium sect. Tetrodus (H. F. L. Rock 1957). The only member of sect. Tetrodus that has a chromosome number of 2n = 28 is H. linifolium, an annual from southern Texas.