OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Helenium amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helenium amarum var. amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)

Helenium amarum var. amarum

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-75-006:

Helenium amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Helenium tenuifolium

 

COMMON NAME:
Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_hete14_001_lvd

        

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970    swus_page_417

        

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm140617_097

June    Greenville County    SC

Stem leaves linear, 2-7cm long, 1-4mm wide, base not decurrent on stem, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm210624_1496

June    SpartanburgCounty    SC

Low much-branched plant with numerous linear, even threadlike, leaves, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm210624_1501

June    SpartanburgCounty    SC

Ray flowers 5-10, reflexed, wedge-shaped, with 3 lobes at the tip, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm210624_1504

June    SpartanburgCounty    SC

The single stout stem is much-branched above, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm210624_1509

June    SpartanburgCounty    SC

Involucre one series of linear bracts, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE involucral bracts of DYCs

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm210624_1511

June    SpartanburgCounty    SC

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm140803_287

August    Greenville County    SC

Furman University

You'd almost think this was a little pine with flowers glued on...

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

Gill Newberry    gn09_helenium_amarum

September        

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm0309o_16

September    Horry County    SC

Myrtle Beach State Park

"Gives an abominable taste to the milk of cows," said Rafinesque in 1817.

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm060928_049

September    York County    SC

Utility right-of-way

image of Helenium amarum, Bitterweed, Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitter Sneezeweed

JK Marlow    jkm181110_5711

November    Horry County    SC

Myrtle Beach State Park

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Helenium amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Helenium amarum var. amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Helenium amarum var. amarum

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-75-006:
Helenium amarum   FAMILY Asteraceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Helenium tenuifolium

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

640

Forb
Annual

Habitat: Roadsides, overgrazed pastures, urban areas; in much of our area an introduction from farther west, per Weakley's Flora

Native: west of the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (rare in Mountains)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate (basal & lower stem leaves usually absent or withered at flowering)

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Rays: Yellow
Disc: Yellow
Disc flowers five-lobed; ray flowers three-lobed
Inferior ovary
Disc flowers bisexual/ Ray flowers pistillate?

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Brown
Achene

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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