False Sunflower

Classification
Kingdom – Plantae
Division – Magnoliophyta
Class – Magnoliopsida
Order – Asterales
Family – Asteraceae (aster family)
Genus species – Heliopsis helianthoides (L.) Sweet  

Etymology
Helios from the Greek for sun.  -opsis means “appearance” from the likeness of these plants the sun.  Helianthoides, the species name, means “like Helianthus” in Latin.  The L. in the name means that the plant was first described for science by Carl von Linne (Linnaeus), the Swedish father of modern plant taxonomy.

Leaves
Leaves are opposite, rough textured, 2 to 6 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, on a stalk at least 1 inch long. 
Leaves are oval in shape with a pointed tip and sharp teeth.

Inflorescence
One to several flower heads on the end of stalks.

Flowers
Flowers are large, orange-yellow, up to 2 inches wide.
Each flower grows singly on top of a long bare upper stem.
Each flower head has many orange disc flowers
(the disc flowers are in the central part of the flower head).
Each flower head also has 10 to 16 large yellow ray flowers
(the ray flowers are the “petals” of the daisy around the perimeter of the flower head).
Both ray and disc flowers are fertile.

Fruit
The disc flowers mature into smooth four-angled achenes (an achene is a small dry one-seeded fruit).

Roots
Roots are fibrous and heavy.

Habitat
Requires full sun.  Grows in native tallgrass prairie, along old roads or railroad grads, and at the edge of wooded areas.

Did you know...

Sunflowers are in the aster family (Asteraceae).  Aster means star in Greek, in reference to the radial arrangement of flowers in the heads.  The family is one of the largest families of plants in the world.


Close-up of false sunflower flowers. Ray flowers are the large yellow petals. Disc flowers are in the center.

 

Sources
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/wildflwr/species/heliheli.htm
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=HELHEL
http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/oxeye.html
http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HEHE5
copyright 2002 Mike Haddock
http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowopp/Heliopsis_helianthoides_page.html

 


False sunflower


Flower heads of false sunflower


Leaves of false sunflower