Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Helianthus maximiliani
Maximilian sunflower, Maximilian's sunflower
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Helianthus maximilianii, Helianthus dalyi

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

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

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
0
M
0
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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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: North America

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial

Roots: adventitious, fibrous, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate, opposite leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire, serrate leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; oblong leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

Flowers: perfect; complete, regular, irregular; yellow; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Ledges; bald knobs, rocky prairies; roadsides, waste ground; degraded prairies.

ILPIN Notes: Diagnostic features include: 1) elongate, tapering bracts; 2) leaves light or gray-green, sessile, longitudinally folded, smoothed-margined, and covered with soft hairs; 3) stems light green to light red. Adventive from western United States. May not be an economic weed in our area. Rogers, Thompson, and Seiler. Disk florets perfect and fertile; ray florets sterile. Often valued as an ornamental; a larger cultivated strain occurs about St. Louis and in east and central Missouri. Possible use as; breadstuff, oil, soup, coffee substitute.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers: high

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

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

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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