prairie sunflower (OSMP Seed Collection)

prairie sunflower

Helianthus petiolaris

Collection Season ²

October

Summary ³

Helianthus petiolaris is a North American plant species in the sunflower family, commonly known as the prairie sunflower or lesser sunflower. Naturalist and botanist Thomas Nuttall was the first to describe the prairie sunflower in 1821. The word petiolaris in Latin means, “having a petiole”. The species originated in Western United States, but has since expanded east. The prairie sunflower is sometimes considered a weed. The prairie sunflower is 30-100 cm tall, with erect stems that are usually branched distally. Lower leaves opposite and upper leaves alternate. blades narrowly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate with wedge-shaped bases and pointed tips, 3-8 cm long and 0.5 to 3 cm wide, the margins entire to serrate or sinuate-serrate. Flower heads large, showy and radiate, yellow with dark centers, on slender peduncles to 15 cm long, these densely puberulent just beneath the flower heads; ray florets 7-15 per flower head, the laminae (ray petals) yellow, 2 cm long; disc florets 50-100 of more per flower head, reddish-purple.

Uses ²

Prairie sunflower adds late season pollination opportunities for native pollinators. It can grow in sandy and disturbed soil making it a good candidate to re-vegetate prairie dog towns.

Seed Collection and Processing ²

Probable Locations ²

Often seen along roadways of the Colorado plains. This bushy plant grows well in sandy soils. The prairie sunflower blooms from June to September.

Fontes e Créditos

(c) Patrick Alexander, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/26246711@N00/2775650382
(c) skramer16, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA)
Adaptado por skramer16 de uma obra de (c) Wikipedia, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus_petiolaris

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