Helianthus laciniatus
Helianthus verticillatus
alkali sunflower
whorled sunflower
erect, usually strigose or hispid to glabrate.
erect, glabrous (glaucous).
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; usually whorled (3s–6s), sometimes opposite;
sessile or subsessile, petioles 0–1 cm;
blades linear to lanceolate, 7.5–18.5 × 0.7–3 cm, bases cuneate, margins serrulate or entire (flat), faces puberulent (abaxial) or hispid-strumose (adaxial), gland-dotted.
4–13 cm.
1–10 cm.
hemispheric, 10–24 mm diam.
broadly campanulate, 15–20 mm diam.
14–20;
laminae ca. 8–11 mm.
10–19;
laminae 20–26 mm.
40+;
corollas 4.8–5.8 mm, lobes reddish;
anthers purplish, appendages reddish (style branches yellow).
150+;
corollas 5–7 mm, lobes yellow;
anthers dark, appendages yellow.
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.
45–55, lance-linear, 12–18 × 2–2.5 mm, (margins ciliate) apices long-attenuate, abaxial faces glabrate to sparsely puberulent, gland-dotted.
1–9.
(1–)3–7+.
2.7–3.5 mm, glabrate;
pappi of 2(–3) aristate scales 1.4–2.5 mm.
4–5 mm, glabrous;
pappi of 2 aristate scales 2.2–2.5 mm.
7–7.8 mm, entire or 3-toothed (apices obtuse to acute, hispid-ciliate to glabrate).
5–8 mm, entire or 3-toothed (apices ciliate).
= 34.
= 34.
Helianthus laciniatus
Helianthus verticillatus
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Helianthus verticillatus is relatively uncommon and was recently rediscovered in scattered locations; it is a candidate for federal listing as an endangered species. It has been suggested to be a hybrid of H. angustifolius and H. eggertii or H. grosseserratus; no supporting evidence has been found to corroborate that suggestion.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
