Heliantheae
Sunflower Tribe -Aster Family
Helianthus comes from the Greek helios, or sun. The Heliantheae are the classic composites, rivaled in this respect only by the Astereae. Many genera similiar in appearance to the ubiquitous sunflowers are Heliantheae. Sunflower Tribe members have both ray and disk flowers and leaves are often opposite. The pappus is usually composed of awns and is not hairy. Cryptic characters include style branch appendages which are papillate to hispidulous.
| Ambrosia | trifida Giant Ragweed |
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| Giant Ragweed is a gross plant. The specimen hear was over 6 feet tall and growing in a roadside ditch in the Platte River Barrens about 20 miles West of Pueblo, Colorado. One gets hay fever just observing the plant. Elevation at this dusty site is 5,000 feet. | ||||
| Baileya | multiradiata Desert Marigold |
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| Desert Marigold has typical yellow rays and yellow disk flowers. The leaves are distinctive appearing almost blueish white from a dense covering of hairs. Baileya multiradiata likes lots of sunshine in the lower desert areas below 5,000 foot elevation. | ||||
| Balsamorhiza | saggitata Arrowleaf Balsamroot |
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| Arrowleaf balsamroot is distinguished by the large rosette of arrow shaped basal leaves. This specimen is growing in a ponderosa forest on Animas City Mountain at 7,300 feet just west of Durango, Colorado. | ||||
| Berlandiera | lyrata Choclate Flower |
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| Chocolate flower is just one neat flower. The disk flowers are a dark reddish brown. This specimen grows at 5,800 feet in the broad bottom of Embudo Arroyo in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico. | ||||
| Bidens | frondosa Beggerticks |
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| This specimen grew on the edge of silty mud banks on the South Bank of the Arkansas River about 10 miles West of Lake Pueblo, Colorado. | ||||
| Cosmos | parviflorus |  |
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| This specimen was growing in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. | ||||
| Encelia | farinosa brittlebush |
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| Helienthella | quinquinervis Aspen Sunflower |
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| Helianthus |
annus Annual Sunflower |
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| Sunflowers of one species or another line the roadsides throughout the midwest and the west. First clusters of large leaves like the one above circle a short, stout stem. As the summer advances the stems shoot skyward to heights varying from a meter to several meters. Finally, as fall approaches the plants are topped by brilliant yellow flowers. Some sunflowers are grown for their seeds, others grace yards as ornamentals. | ||||
Heliomeris |
multiflora showy goldeneye |
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| Showy goldeneye appears in late summer and early fall in Ponderosa forests. It grows especially well in open forests with a mixture of sun and shade. | ||||
| Heliopsis | helianthoides Ox Eye Sunflower |
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| Hymenopappus | flavescens Collegeflower |
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| Hymenoxys | odorata Bitter Rubberweed |
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| Melanopodium | leucanthum Blackfoot Daisy |
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| Gerea | canescens Desert Gold |
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| Parthenium | incanum Mariola |
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| Pericome | caudata |  |
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| Peucephyllum | schottii |  |
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| Porophyllum | scoparium |  |
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| Ratibida | Columnifera Mexican Hat |
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| Rudbeckia | hirta Black Eyed Susan |
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| Santavitalia | albertii |  |
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| Togetes | lemonii Lemon Marigold |
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| viquiera | stenoloba |
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| Wythea | scabra Desert Sunflower |
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| Zinnia | grandiflora |  |
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