Helianthus giganteus

Helianthus giganteus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Helianthus
Species:	H. giganteus
Binomial name
Helianthus giganteus L.
Synonyms [1]
Helianthus alienusE.Watson Helianthus borealisE.Watson Helianthus subtuberosus(Britton) Britton Helianthus validusE.Watson

Helianthus giganteus, the giant sunflower or tall sunflower, is a species of Helianthus native to the eastern United States and eastern and central Canada, from Newfoundland west to Alberta south to Minnesota, Mississippi, and South Carolina. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Description

Helianthus giganteus is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the northern United States and southern Canada that can grow up to 1–3 metres (3.3–9.8 ft) tall with instances to 4m (13 feet). The leaves are approximately 1 inch wide by 7 inches long, and partly rough. The flower heads are bright yellow, up to 7 cm (3 in) in diameter. They are most commonly found in valleys with wet meadows or swamps ^{[5] [4]} and even near river banks.

Characteristics

The stalk is purple to red with spreading white hairs on it. The leaves are lancolate and alternate. This perennial sunflower has a fibrous root system and spreads by seed and rhizomes. These rhizomes will form a large clump. ^[6]

Cultivation and use

The Choctaw Indians of the southeastern United States have traditionally cultivated the Helianthus giganteus and made a palatable bread by mixing the ground sunflower seed with that of ground maize. ^[7]

References

1. "Helianthus giganteus". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC)– via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
2. "Helianthus giganteus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 14 January 2018.
3. Kartesz, John T. (2014). "Helianthus giganteus". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
4. Schilling, Edward E. (2006). "Helianthus giganteus". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 21. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
5. Wisconsin Plant of the Week: Helianthus giganteus
6. Foster, Joe. "Giant Sunflower-Facts, Grow and Care Guide". Growit Buildit.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
7. Romans, B. (1775). A concise natural history of East and West Florida. New York: Printed for the author. p.  84. OCLC   745317190.