Helenium vernale

Walter

Fl. Carol., 210. 1788.

Common names: Savanna or spring sneezeweed
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 21. Treatment on page 429. Mentioned on page 427.

Perennials, 30–80 cm. Stems usually 1, usually unbranched distally, weakly winged, glabrous proximally, glabrous or sparsely hairy distally. Leaves usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy; basal blades obovate to narrowly oblanceolate, usually entire or undulate to undulate-serrate; proximal and mid blades usually narrowly lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, usually entire, sometimes toothed; distal blades lance-linear, entire. Heads 1(–3) per plant, usually borne singly. Peduncles 2–23 cm, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy. Involucres hemispheric, 10–17 × 15–27 mm. Phyllaries glabrous or sparsely hairy. Ray florets 13–30, neuter; corollas yellow, 15–21 × 5–10 mm. Disc florets 150–650(–800+); corollas yellow proximally, yellow to yellow-brown distally, 4.6–6 mm, lobes 5. Cypselae 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; pappi of usually 8 entire or lacerate, non-aristate scales 1.5–2 mm. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat: Ditches, other moist areas such as wet woods, bogs, and swamp edges
Elevation: 10–50 m

Distribution

V21-1072-distribution-map.gif

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C.

Discussion

The name Helenium nuttallii A. Gray is illegitimate; it has been applied to plants treated here as H. vernale.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.