Helianthus divaricatus
Encyclopedia
Helianthus divaricatus, commonly known as the woodland sunflower, is a perennial herb in the composite family
. It is native to eastern North America
, from Ontario
and Quebec
in the north, south to Florida
and west to Oklahoma
and Iowa
. It commonly occurs in dry, relatively open sites. The woodland aster is similar to Helianthus hirsutus, but the former has hairless stems that are often glaucous
, sessile leaves (i.e. they lack a leaf stalk), and smaller reproductive organs. The showy yellow flowers emerge in summer through early fall.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
. It is native to eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in the north, south to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and west to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. It commonly occurs in dry, relatively open sites. The woodland aster is similar to Helianthus hirsutus, but the former has hairless stems that are often glaucous
Glaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
, sessile leaves (i.e. they lack a leaf stalk), and smaller reproductive organs. The showy yellow flowers emerge in summer through early fall.