Home Asteraceae Helianthus

Helianthus strumosus L.

Common Name: PALE-LEAVED SUNFLOWER
Coefficient of Conservatism: 4
Coefficient of Wetness: 5
Wetness Index: UPL
Physiognomy: Nt P-Forb

Wide-ranging in the eastern United States and native at least in part in Michigan, though somewhat weedy. Habitats recorded for it are as diverse as its morphology; usually in dry sandy ground, including oak forests, but also in moist ground; roadsides, prairies, clearings, fields, river banks, and other places.

This species is unfortunately somewhat of a variable species in which have been accommodated all the eastern polyploid sunflowers that cannot be placed in any other species. It also seems to intergrade with others and to be quite plastic in leaf shape and other characters. For example, several specimens with leaves densely pubescent beneath and other characters of this taxon have the long phyllaries of H. decapetalus. Others seem to approach H. divaricatus.

R. W. Smith

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Counties
Allegan
Barry
Bay
Calhoun
Cass
Cheboygan
Delta
Hillsdale
Ionia
Jackson
Kalamazoo
Kent
Lapeer
Lenawee
Livingston
Macomb
Menominee
Midland
Monroe
Montcalm
Newaygo
Oakland
Oceana
Schoolcraft
St. Clair
St. Joseph
Unknown
Van Buren
Washtenaw
Wayne

Citation:
MICHIGAN FLORA ONLINE. A. A. Reznicek, E. G. Voss, & B. S. Walters. February 2011. University of Michigan. Web. March, 17, 2025
https://lsa-miflora-p.lsait.lsa.umich.edu/#/record/358