Helenium campestre

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Helenium campestre
Helenium campestre.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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]

Contents

Description

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]

Similar species

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.

Distribution

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]

References