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Photo is of parent taxon

littlehead tarweed, smallhead sneezeweed

Habit Plants 25–80 cm. Annuals, 25–120 cm.
Stems

1(2–10), branched distally, moderately to strongly winged, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Leaves

proximal and mid blades serrate to undulate-serrate to occasionally deeply toothed or laciniate, glabrate;

distal blades glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy.

glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy (basal withered by flowering);

proximal and mid blades narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic, usually serrate to undulate-serrate, sometimes deeply toothed or laciniate;

distal blades narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic, serrate to undulate-serrate.

Peduncles

1.5–8 cm, usually projecting terminal heads well beyond foliage.

1.8–8 cm, moderately hairy.

Involucres

8–12 × 8–12 mm.

globoid to usually ovoid, 4–12 × 4–12 mm.

Ray florets

9–13;

corollas usually yellow throughout, sometimes reddish proximally and yellow distally, 2.7–9.1 × 1.5–6.7 mm.

7–13, pistillate, fertile;

corollas usually yellow throughout, sometimes reddish proximally and yellow distally, 2.6–9.1 × 1.5–6.7 mm.

Disc florets

200–400+;

corollas 1.7–2.4 mm, lobes 5.

120–400+;

corollas yellow to yellow-green proximally, brown to reddish brown distally, 1.2–2.4 mm, lobes (4–)5.

Phyllaries

(connate proximally) moderately hairy.

Heads

20–100+ per plant.

20–300+ per plant, in paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

0.7–1.4 mm, moderately hairy;

pappi of usually 6 entire, non-aristate scales (0.2–)0.3–0.7 mm.

Pappi

0.4–0.7 mm.

2n

= 26.

Helenium microcephalum var. oöclinium

Helenium microcephalum

Phenology Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jun(–Dec).
Habitat Sandy or clay soils, ditches, washes, around ponds and lakes, along streams
Elevation 500–1900 m (1600–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango, San Luis Potosí)
from FNA
AZ; NM; OK; TX; n Mexico
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Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Peduncles 1–3.5 cm, projecting terminal heads barely beyond foliage; involucres 4–8 × 4–8 mm
var. microcephalum
1. Peduncles 1.5–8 cm, usually projecting terminal heads well beyond foliage; involucres 8–12 × 8–12 mm
var. oöclinium
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 434. FNA vol. 21, p. 433.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium > Helenium microcephalum Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Gaillardiinae > Helenium
Sibling taxa
H. microcephalum var. microcephalum
H. amarum, H. arizonicum, H. autumnale, H. bigelovii, H. bolanderi, H. brevifolium, H. campestre, H. drummondii, H. elegans, H. flexuosum, H. linifolium, H. pinnatifidum, H. puberulum, H. quadridentatum, H. thurberi, H. vernale, H. virginicum
Subordinate taxa
H. microcephalum var. microcephalum, H. microcephalum var. oöclinium
Synonyms H. oöclinium
Name authority (A. Gray) Bierner: Sida 5: 47. (1972) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 5: 667. (1836)
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