Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Helianthus occidentalis
Western sunflower, Few-leaf sunflower
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

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 [?]

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, rhizomes

Shoots: opposite leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire, dentate leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; lanceolate 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 meadows, rocky open woods.

ILPIN Notes: Species occasionally crosses with H. mollis. This is a typical variety. Species has long, naked stems (often red); reduced leaves (most near base of plant); involucral bracts narrow, spreading, or tightly pressed; long, slender rhizomes. Leaf venation may be pinnate or other. Rodgers, C.E., T.E. Thompson, and G.J. Seiler. 1982. Sunflowers species of the United States. National Sunflower Association, Bismark, N.D. 75 pp. Disk florets are perfect and fertile; ray florets are sterile. Plants have antibiotic and autotoxic properties, some unique diterpenoid acids, and resist several insect pests of common sunflowers. Seeds are useful in bread, oil, and coffee substitute.

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: 7
  • Chicago Area: 10

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