Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Helianthus annuus
Garden sunflower, Common sunflower
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

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F
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M
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A
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M
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J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: North America

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, annual

Roots: adventitious, fibrous

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire, dentate, lobed (pinnately), other leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; linear, oblong, lanceolate, orbicular and peltate leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

Flowers: perfect; 5 merous; complete; yellow; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Waste ground, often in urban areas; on railroad ballast; low meadows; along roads.

ILPIN Notes: Pales (chaff of the flower head) without conspicuous apical white hairs; achenes glabrous, 4-8mm broad; leaves rough-hairy, and lower ones usually heart-shaped. involucral bracts conspicuously long-haired on margin and usually on back; Fruits favorite food of goldfinch. There are two recognizeable kinds in northern Illinois; one is truly wild and weedy, and the other is an escape where seed has been spilled. Introduced from West of the Mississippi River. Pollen can cause hayfever in susceptable individuals. May produce a fine yellow dye, a good honey plant; a fine, soft hemp-like fiber. Flower buds were eaten in early United States like artichokes. May have been used as a breadstuff, oil, coffee substitute. Disk florets perfect and fertile, rays sterile. Rogers, Thompson, and Seiler.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators: insect
  • Dispersal: bird, bird - internal, mammal, mammal - internal, gravity
  • Mycorrhizae: endomycorrhizal
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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