Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Helianthus microcephalus
Wood sunflower, Small wood sunflower
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

  • Magnoliophyta

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 [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial

Roots: adventitious, fibrous

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

Inflorescence: head

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

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed in open woods and sandy fields.

ILPIN Notes: Seeds are useful in bread, oil, and coffee substitute. Rodgers, C.F., T.E. Thompson, and G.J. Seiler. 1982. Sunflower species of the United States. National Sunflower Association, Bismark, N.D. 75 pp. Species is recognized by its small head, hairless stems, and relatively long petioles. Outer involucral bracts are loose, spreading with long, pointed tips. Species may reach 3-4 1/2 in. Leaf venation may be pinnate or other. Disk florets are perfect and fertile, ray florets are sterile. Plants have numerous crown buds on fibrous roots.

Functional Relationships:

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

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

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

  • Entire State: 8
  • Chicago Area:

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