Flora of North America species comparison

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Helianthus laciniatus

Helianthus simulans

alkali sunflower

muck sunflower
Habit Perennials, 50–120(–200) cm. Perennials, 150–260 cm (rhizomatous).
Stems

erect, usually strigose or hispid to glabrate.

erect, strigose or hirsute.
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).

basal and cauline; opposite or alternate;

petioles 0.5–1 cm;

blades (3-nerved distal to bases) linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 9–22 cm × 0.7–4 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire or sub-entire (usually slightly revolute), abaxial faces hispidulous to tomentulose, gland-dotted.
Peduncles

4–13 cm.

1–13 cm.
Involucres

hemispheric, 10–24 mm diam.

± hemispheric, 13–18 mm diam.
Ray florets

14–20;

laminae ca. 8–11 mm.

12–23;

laminae 16–40 mm (abaxial faces gland-dotted).
Disc florets

40+;

corollas 4.8–5.8 mm, lobes reddish;

anthers purplish, appendages reddish (style branches yellow).

100+;

corollas 5–5.5 mm, lobes yellow or reddish;

anthers dark brown or black, appendages dark.
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.

25–35 (loose), lance-linear to lanceolate, 6–17 × 1.5–3 mm, apices acuminate, abaxial faces glabrate to sparsely strigose, gland-dotted.
Heads

1–9.

1–15.
Cypselae

2.7–3.5 mm, glabrate;

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

2.5–3 mm, glabrous;

pappi of 2 (usually unequal) aristate scales 1.5–2.4 mm.
Paleae

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

5.5–6.5 mm, 3- (or 5-)toothed (distally strigose, gland-dotted).
2n

= 34.

= 34.

Helianthus laciniatus

Helianthus simulans
Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering fall.
Habitat Open, dry, alkaline soils Wet soils, ditches, roadsides
Elevation 1000–1200 m (3300–3900 ft) 0–50+ m (0–200+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; SC
[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 simulans is similar to H. angustifolius, but much more robust with larger leaves, and to H. floridanus, but with longer and narrower leaves. Some workers have described H. simulans as having yellow disc corollas; this is variable within the species; individuals with reddish disc corolla lobes also occur. It is becoming popular as a garden plant, which may increase its range and may lead to an increase in the occurrence of hybrids with H. angustifolius and H. floridanus. It may be present in Arkansas and Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 169. FNA vol. 21, p. 164.
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. 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. 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. 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) E. Watson: Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci. 9: 363, plate 49. (1929)
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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