Helianthus divaricatus
Helianthus ciliaris
woodland sunflower
blueweed, blueweed sunflower, Texas-blueweed, yerba parda
erect, usually glabrous, rarely ± hairy (often glaucous).
decumbent to ± erect, glabrous or glabrate (glaucous).
cauline; opposite;
sessile;
blades (light to dark green, sometimes whitish abaxially, 3-nerved at bases) lanceolate to lance-ovate, 6–15 × 1–5 cm, bases rounded to cordate, margins subentire to serrate, abaxial faces sparsely hispid to hispidulous, gland-dotted.
cauline; mostly opposite;
sessile;
blades (often bluish green, 1- or 3-nerved) linear to lanceolate, 3–7.5 × 0.5–2.2 cm, bases ± cuneate, margins entire or serrate (usually ciliate and undulate), faces glabrous or glabrate to hispid.
0.5–9 cm.
(1–)3–13 cm.
hemispheric, 10–15 mm diam.
hemispheric, 12–25 mm diam.
8–12;
laminae 15–30 mm.
10–18;
laminae 8–9 mm.
40+;
corollas 4.2–5.5 mm, lobes yellow;
anthers usually dark brown to black, appendages yellow.
35+;
corollas 4–6 mm, lobes reddish;
anthers brownish red, appendages brownish red (style branches yellow).
18–25, lanceolate, lance-linear, or lance-ovate, 6–12 × 2–2.5 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acuminate to attenuate, abaxial faces hispidulous to glabrate, not gland-dotted.
16–19, ovate to lance-ovate, 3–8 × 2–3.5 mm, (margins ciliate) apices obtuse to acute, abaxial faces glabrate to ± strigose, not gland-dotted.
1–10.
1–5.
3–3.6 mm, glabrate;
pappi of 2 aristate scales 2.2–2.5 mm.
3–3.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi of 2 aristate scales 1.2–1.5 mm.
5–8 mm, 3-toothed (apices ciliate).
7–7.5 mm, subentire to 3-toothed (apices obtuse to acute, hairy, gland-dotted).
= 34.
= 68, 102.
Helianthus divaricatus
Helianthus ciliaris
One of the earlier flowering perennial Helianthus, H. divaricatus resembles the tetraploid H. hirsutus but differs by its usually glabrous and often glaucous stems, sessile or subsessile leaves, and smaller reproductive organs (disc corollas, paleae, cypselae). Plants from the Ozark region of Arkansas have larger leaves and heads and may represent a polyploid form of H. divaricatus. Natural hybrids with H. microcephalus have been named H. glaucus Small (D. M. Smith and A. T. Guard 1958). Hybrids with other species differ from H. divaricatus in having short but distinct petioles, hairy stems, leaves with more rounded bases, and primary lateral leaf veins diverging in a subopposite manner distal to bases, rather than being strictly opposite and basal.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Helianthus ciliaris is considered a noxious weed in some states. It can propagate vegetatively from detached pieces of rhizome and spread aggressively, especially in cultivated fields. It has been noted to occur in Idaho and Washington, where control measures have been taken to eliminate it.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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