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hélianthe de maximilien, Maximilian sunflower, Maximilian's sunflower

Eggert's sunflower

Habit Perennials, 50–300 cm (rhizomatous). Perennials, 30–200+ dm (rhizomatous).
Stems

erect, 5–30 dm, scabrous to scabro-hispidulous.

erect, glabrous (distinctively bluish, glacous).

Leaves

cauline; mostly alternate;

petioles 0–2 cm;

blades (light green to gray-green, 1-nerved, conduplicate) lanceolate, 10–30 × 2–5.5 cm, bases cuneate, margins usually entire, sometimes serrulate, abaxial faces scabrous to scabro-hispid, gland-dotted.

cauline; all or mostly opposite;

sessile;

blades (1-nerved) lanceolate to lance-ovate, 7–16.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire or serrulate, faces glabrous (abaxial) or strumose (adaxial), gland-dotted.

Peduncles

1–11 cm.

1–4 cm.

Involucres

hemispheric, 13–28 mm diam.

hemispheric, 10–25 mm diam.

Ray florets

10–25;

laminae (15–)25–40 mm.

10–18;

laminae 15–20 mm.

Disc florets

75+;

corollas 5–7 mm, lobes yellow;

anthers dark brown or black;

appendages usually yellow, sometimes partly dark.

70+;

corollas 5–7 mm, lobes yellow;

anthers dark, appendages dark or ± yellowish.

Phyllaries

30–40, lanceolate, 14–20 × 2–3 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acute to attenuate, abaxial faces canescent, gland-dotted.

30–38, lanceolate, 12–16 × 3.5–4.5 mm, (margins ciliate) apices acuminate, abaxial faces glabrate, not gland-dotted.

Heads

(1–)3–15 (often in racemiform to spiciform arrays).

1–5.

Cypselae

3–4 mm, glabrate;

pappi of 2 aristate scales 3–4.1 mm.

4–6 mm, glabrous;

pappi of 2 aristate scales 3–4 mm plus 0–1 deltate scales 0.5–1 mm.

Paleae

7–11 mm, entire or 3-toothed (apices greenish, mucronate, hairy).

9–11 mm, entire or ± 3-toothed (apices deltate).

2n

= 34.

= 102.

Helianthus maximiliani

Helianthus eggertii

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Prairies, fields, waste areas Open barrens, open oak-hickory woodlands
Elevation 0–300(–2100+) m (0–1000(–6900+) ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; SK; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; KY; TN
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Helianthus maximiliani is introduced in eastern Ontario and in Quebec. It appears to be native to midcontinental prairie regions and has spread along railroads and highways into all areas of North America. Its wide dispersal may be aided by cultivation for its attractive, showy floral displays. In addition to the usually conduplicate, single-nerved leaves and spikelike arrangement of the heads, it is distinguished by the whitish-canescent indument of the leaves and stems and the long-attenuate phyllaries.

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

Helianthus eggertii is similar to H. strumosus and H. laevigatus; it is distinguished by the distinctive blue coloration of stems and leaves and by the leaves usually 1-nerved, in contrast to the 3-nerved condition typical for the genus. It is listed federally as an endangered species; R. L. Jones (1994) found it to be more common than was previously thought, and it is now in the process of being removed from the federal list.

of conservation concern

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 166. FNA vol. 21, p. 159.
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. laciniatus, H. laevigatus, H. longifolius, 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. 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. dalyi
Name authority Schrader: Index Seminum (Göttingen) 1834: unpaged. (1835) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 1267, 1340. (1903)
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