Helenium
Family: Asteraceae
Helenium image
Max Licher
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Mark W. Bierner in Flora of North America (vol. 21)
Annuals or perennials, 10-160 cm. Stems 1(-10), erect, simple or branched distally (usually ± winged by decurrent leaf bases), glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy. Leaves usually mostly cauline; mostly alternate (proximal sometimes opposite); petiolate or sessile; blades mostly elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, oblong, ovate, or spatulate, often pinnately lobed or pinnatifid, ultimate margins entire or toothed, faces glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, gland-dotted. Heads radiate or discoid, borne singly or (2-300+) in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays. Involucres ± globose, hemispheric, obconic, or ovoid, 4-34 mm diam. Phyllaries persistent, 9-34(-40+) in (1-)2[-3] series (distinct or proximally connate, usually reflexed in fruit, glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, gland-dotted). Receptacles conic, ± globose, hemispheric, or ovoid, pitted (glabrous), epaleate (rarely bearing setiform enations). Ray florets 0 or 7-34, pistillate and fertile or neuter; corollas yellow, yellow with purple streaks, reddish brown to red proximally and yellow distally, or reddish brown to red or purple throughout. Disc florets 75-1000+, bisexual, fertile; corollas yellow, purple, or yellow to yellow-green proximally and yellow-brown, brown or reddish brown to purple distally, tubes shorter than throats, lobes 4 or 5, ± deltate (style-branch apices penicillate or truncate). Cypselae mostly obpyramidal, 4-5-angled, glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy; pappi persistent, of 5-12 entire or ± lacerate, sometimes aristate scales. x = 17. Helenium polyphyllum Small is apparently a hybrid between H. autumnale and H. flexuosum.

Vascular plants of NE US and adjacent Canada
Heads mostly radiate, the rays pistillate or neutral, mostly yellow, cuneate, 3-lobed, not very numerous; invol bracts in 2-3 series, subequal or the inner shorter, ±herbaceous, generally soon deflexed, the outer sometimes joined at the base; receptacle convex to ovoid or conic, naked; disk-fls very numerous, perfect, the cor-lobes glandular-hairy; style branches flattened, with ventromarginal stigmatic lines and dilated, subtruncate, penicillate tip; achenes 4-5-angled, with as many intermediate ribs, pubescent on the angles and ribs, or glabrous; pappus of 5-10 scarious or hyaline, often awn-tipped scales; herbs with alternate, glandular-punctate, usually decurrent lvs and solitary to numerous heads. 40, New World.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

©The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Species within checklist: DBG Lower Meadow
Helenium amarum
Image of Helenium amarum
Helenium amphilobum
Image of Helenium amphilobum
Helenium apterum
Image of Helenium apterum
Helenium arizonicum
Image of Helenium arizonicum
Helenium aromaticum
Image of Helenium aromaticum
Helenium autumnale
Image of Helenium autumnale
Helenium bigelovii
Image of Helenium bigelovii
Helenium bolanderi
Image of Helenium bolanderi
Helenium brevifolium
Image of Helenium brevifolium
Helenium campestre
Image of Helenium campestre
Helenium chihuahuense
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not available
Helenium chihuahuensis
Image of Helenium chihuahuensis
Helenium curtisii
Image of Helenium curtisii
Helenium decurrens
Image of Helenium decurrens
Helenium donianum
Image of Helenium donianum
Helenium drummondii
Image of Helenium drummondii
Helenium elegans
Image of Helenium elegans
Helenium fimbriatum
Image of Helenium fimbriatum
Helenium flexuosum
Image of Helenium flexuosum
Helenium glaucum
Image of Helenium glaucum
Helenium helenium
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Helenium incisum
Image of Helenium incisum
Helenium integrifolium
Image of Helenium integrifolium
Helenium laciniatum
Image of Helenium laciniatum
Helenium lanciniatum
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Helenium linifolium
Image of Helenium linifolium
Helenium macranthum
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Helenium mexicanum
Image of Helenium mexicanum
Helenium microcephalum
Image of Helenium microcephalum
Helenium nuttallii
Image of Helenium nuttallii
Helenium ovallense
Image of Helenium ovallense
Helenium pinnatifidum
Image of Helenium pinnatifidum
Helenium polyphyllum
Image of Helenium polyphyllum
Helenium puberulum
Image of Helenium puberulum
Helenium quadridentatum
Image of Helenium quadridentatum
Helenium radiatum
Image of Helenium radiatum
Helenium scaposum
Image of Helenium scaposum
Helenium scorzoneraefolium
Image of Helenium scorzoneraefolium
Helenium scorzonerifolium
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Helenium tenuifolium
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Helenium thurberi
Image of Helenium thurberi
Helenium urmenetae
Image of Helenium urmenetae
Helenium vernale
Image of Helenium vernale
Helenium virginicum
Image of Helenium virginicum
Helenium x polyphyllum
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