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hélénie nudiflore, purple sneezeweed, purple-head sneezeweed

shortleaf sneezeweed

Habit Perennials, 30–100 cm. Perennials, 20–100 cm.
Stems

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

usually 1, unbranched or sparingly branched distally, weakly to moderately winged, glabrous 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.

glabrous or sparsely hairy;

basal blades oblanceolate to spatulate, entire or undulate to undulate-serrate;

proximal and mid blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, usually entire, sometimes undulate to undulate-serrate;

distal blades lance-linear, entire.

Peduncles

3–10 cm, sparsely to moderately hairy.

(3–)6–11(–15) cm, sparsely to moderately hairy.

Involucres

globoid to usually ovoid, 8–17 × 9–17 mm.

hemispheric to globoid, 10–15 × 10–20 mm.

Ray florets

usually 8–13, neuter, sometimes 0;

corollas yellow to reddish brown to red to purple, 10–20 × 5–10 mm.

9–24, neuter;

corollas yellow, 12.5–21 × 4–8 mm.

Disc florets

250–500(–700+);

corollas yellow proximally and purple distally or purple throughout, 2.3–3.7 mm, lobes 4(–5).

200–500(–800+);

corollas yellow proximally, usually purple to yellow or yellow-brown distally, 4–5.6 mm, lobes 5.

Phyllaries

(connate proximally) moderately to densely hairy.

(connate proximally) sparsely to moderately hairy.

Heads

(1–)5–50(–80+) per plant, in paniculiform arrays.

1–10 per plant, borne singly or in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.2 mm, moderately hairy;

pappi of 5–6 entire, aristate scales 0.6–1(–1.7) mm.

1–1.4 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy;

pappi of 6–8 entire, non-aristate scales 1–1.7 mm.

2n

= 28.

= 26, 28.

Helenium flexuosum

Helenium brevifolium

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)May–Jul(–Oct). Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Ditches, fields, washes, along streams Ditches, fields, other moist areas such as wet woods, bogs, and swamp edges
Elevation 10–900 m (0–3000 ft) 0–80 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; NS; ON; QC
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 429. FNA vol. 21, p. 431.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium
Sibling taxa
H. amarum, H. arizonicum, H. autumnale, H. bigelovii, H. bolanderi, H. brevifolium, H. campestre, H. drummondii, H. elegans, 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. campestre, H. drummondii, H. elegans, H. flexuosum, H. linifolium, H. microcephalum, H. pinnatifidum, H. puberulum, H. quadridentatum, H. thurberi, H. vernale, H. virginicum
Synonyms H. nudiflorum Leptopoda brevifolia, H. curtisii
Name authority Rafinesque: New Fl. 4: 81. (1838) (Nuttall) Alph. Wood: Amer. Bot. Fl., 182. (1870)
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