Helenium campestre | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Helenium |
Species: | H. campestre |
Binomial name | |
Helenium campestre Small 1903 | |
Helenium campestre is a North American perennial plant in the sunflower family, commonly known as oldfield sneezeweed or arkansas sneezeweed. [1] It is native to the southeastern United States, in Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana. [2]
Helenium campestre is a perennial herb up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall. One plant can produce as many as 20 flower heads, in branching arrays. The head is spherical or egg-shaped, with sometimes as many as 700 disc florets, each floret yellow near the base but purple or brown towards the tip. There are also 9-15 yellow ray florets. The species grows in ditches, fields, and streambanks. [1]
The plant is often misidentified as Southern Sneezeweed ( Helenium flexuosum ) but it can be identified by the number of lobes on the disk florets. H. Campestre has 5 lobes, while H. flexusom has 4. The flowers on H. campestre are larger and droop more.
This species has a very limited distribution, occurring only in Arkansas and Louisiana. Within Louisiana, it has been documented in Bossier Parish and Webster Parish. [2]