Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Helianthus laetiflorus
FAMILY
Asteraceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Showy Sunflower's leaves tend to be arcing to drooping. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helianthus ×laetiflorus [pauciflorus × tuberosus]
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Helianthus ×laetiflorus
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-65-009:
Helianthus laetiflorus FAMILY Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Helianthus laetiflorus var. laetiflorus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Helianthus laetiflorus
COMMON NAME:
Showy Sunflower, cheerful sunflower
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_hesc13_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm130713_426
July Greenville County SC
Leaves w a prominent lateral pair of veins near the base, petiole 1-5 cm long, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm130713_431
July Greenville County SC
Leaf underside.
)
JK Marlow jkm090824_001
August Greenville County SC
Roadside
Stems erect, 1-2.5m tall; lower internodes ~ 3-10cm, upper considerably longer, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm090824_007
August Greenville County SC
Roadside
Leaves opposite, lanceolate to lance-ovate, serrate, pubescent and scabrous, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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JK Marlow jkm120814_518
August Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm120814_520
August Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3331
September Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3332
September Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3334
September Greenville County SC
Ray florets 15-20; disc florets w reddish lobes, at least tips; anthers dark, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3337
September Greenville County SC
Phyllaries conspicuously graduated and imbricate, usually appressed, per Weakley's Flora.
COMPARE
involucral bracts of Sunflowers
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3341
September Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210905_3344
September Greenville County SC
Stems scabrous and spreading pubescent, somewhat glabrous above, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Helianthus laetiflorus
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helianthus ×laetiflorus [pauciflorus × tuberosus]
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Helianthus ×laetiflorus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-65-009:
Helianthus laetiflorus
FAMILY
Asteraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Helianthus laetiflorus var. laetiflorus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Helianthus laetiflorus
3537
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed areas; introduced from farther west, per Weakley's Flora
Native: west of the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon (rare in GA, rare in Mountains)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Rays: Yellow
Disc: Yellow with dark lobes
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual & fertile/ Ray flowers pistillate but sterile
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Brown
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".