Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Inula helenium
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Elecampane

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA PlantsITISThe Plant ListIPNI

Species Distribution
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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: FLNAUSDA PlantsBONAPBISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
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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: Europe

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial

Roots:

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; lanceolate, obovate leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

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

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: sexual

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed along roadsides, waste places, and open ground.

ILPIN Notes: Species is a large, coarse perennial with few large heads and broad, large leaves. Species was more commonly grown in past for presumed medicinal qualities. Mucilaginous root was used to treat lung diseases. Also species has inulin, a sugar which can be eaten by diabetics. Can candy the roots; fresh roots, preserved in sugar, were used in England to treat digestive troubles. Disk florets are perfect and fertile; ray florets are pistillate and fertile.

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:
  • Chicago Area:

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