Flora of North America species comparison

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Helianthus laciniatus

Helianthus arizonensis

alkali sunflower

Arizona sunflower
Habit Perennials, 50–120(–200) cm. Perennials, 20–30 cm (roots creeping).
Stems

erect, usually strigose or hispid to glabrate.

erect to ascending, glabrous (glaucous).
Leaves

cauline; opposite or alternate;

sessile;

blades (green or grayish, 1- or 3-nerved) lanceolate, 5–9 × 0.5–3.5 cm, bases ± cuneate, margins entire or irregularly toothed to lobed, faces strigose to strumose, gland-dotted (adaxial sometimes glaucous).

cauline; opposite;

sessile;

blades (bluish green) lanceolate, 2–7 × 0.5–1.3 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire (undulate), faces glabrous (glaucous).
Peduncles

4–13 cm.

2–7.5 cm.
Involucres

hemispheric, 10–24 mm diam.

hemispheric, 9–18 mm diam.
Ray florets

14–20;

laminae ca. 8–11 mm.

10–14;

laminae 7–9 mm.
Disc florets

40+;

corollas 4.8–5.8 mm, lobes reddish;

anthers purplish, appendages reddish (style branches yellow).

30+;

corollas 3–3.5 mm, lobes yellow;

anthers reddish brown, appendages brownish.
Phyllaries

16–21, lanceolate, 6–7.5 × 1.8–2.5 mm (often subequal), (margins ciliate) apices acute, abaxial faces hispidulous or strigose to glabrate, gland-dotted.

16–19, lance-ovate, 3.5–7 × 2–2.8 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acute, abaxial faces glabrate, sparingly gland-dotted.
Heads

1–9.

1–7.
Cypselae

2.7–3.5 mm, glabrate;

pappi of 2(–3) aristate scales 1.4–2.5 mm.

2.8–3.2 mm, glabrous;

pappi of 2 deltate, erose scales 1–1.7 mm.
Paleae

7–7.8 mm, entire or 3-toothed (apices obtuse to acute, hispid-ciliate to glabrate).

5.5–6.5 mm, 3-toothed (apices acute, gland-dotted).
2n

= 34.

= 34, 51.

Helianthus laciniatus

Helianthus arizonensis
Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Open, dry, alkaline soils Open pine woodlands
Elevation 1000–1200 m (3300–3900 ft) 1200–2100 m (3900–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Helianthus laciniatus reaches the northern extent of its range in New Mexico and Texas; it is relatively common in the Chihuahuan Desert areas of Mexico. It is similar to H. ciliaris; it usually has hairy stems as well as denser leaf indument that includes a greater number of subsessile, glandular hairs.

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

Helianthus arizonensis is morphologically similar to the polyploid H. ciliaris; H. arizonensis is diploid (or triploid) and has entirely yellow disc corollas. It is known from relatively few sites.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 169. FNA vol. 21, p. 168.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Helianthinae > Helianthus Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Helianthinae > Helianthus
Sibling taxa
H. agrestis, H. angustifolius, H. annuus, H. anomalus, H. argophyllus, H. arizonensis, H. atrorubens, H. bolanderi, H. californicus, H. carnosus, H. ciliaris, H. cusickii, H. debilis, H. decapetalus, H. deserticola, H. divaricatus, H. eggertii, H. exilis, H. floridanus, H. giganteus, H. glaucophyllus, H. gracilentus, H. grosseserratus, H. heterophyllus, H. hirsutus, H. laevigatus, H. longifolius, H. maximiliani, H. microcephalus, H. mollis, H. neglectus, H. niveus, H. nuttallii, H. occidentalis, H. paradoxus, H. pauciflorus, H. petiolaris, H. porteri, H. praecox, H. pumilus, H. radula, H. resinosus, H. salicifolius, H. schweinitzii, H. silphioides, H. simulans, H. smithii, H. strumosus, H. tuberosus, H. verticillatus, H. ×laetiflorus
H. agrestis, H. angustifolius, H. annuus, H. anomalus, H. argophyllus, H. atrorubens, H. bolanderi, H. californicus, H. carnosus, H. ciliaris, H. cusickii, H. debilis, H. decapetalus, H. deserticola, H. divaricatus, H. eggertii, H. exilis, H. floridanus, H. giganteus, H. glaucophyllus, H. gracilentus, H. grosseserratus, H. heterophyllus, H. hirsutus, H. laciniatus, H. laevigatus, H. longifolius, H. maximiliani, H. microcephalus, H. mollis, H. neglectus, H. niveus, H. nuttallii, H. occidentalis, H. paradoxus, H. pauciflorus, H. petiolaris, H. porteri, H. praecox, H. pumilus, H. radula, H. resinosus, H. salicifolius, H. schweinitzii, H. silphioides, H. simulans, H. smithii, H. strumosus, H. tuberosus, H. verticillatus, H. ×laetiflorus
Synonyms H. crenatus, H. heiseri
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 84. (1849) R. C. Jackson: Brittonia 15: 266, fig. 2. (1963)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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