Helianthus heterophyllus Nutt.

Savannah Sunflower; Variable Leaf Sunflower

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Savannah Sunflower is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found in the southern third of Alabama. Savannah Sunflower grows in bogs, in wet pine savannahs, along streams, and in wet roadside ditches. It is a perennial from a short upright rootstock. The leaves are primarily basal. Leaves are opposite, short petiolate to sessile, ovate to lanceolate in outline, entire, not gland dotted, and pubescent. The cauline leaves are few, opposite, sessile, lanceolate to linear in outline, and much reduced in size. The stem is pubescent. Flower are produced in heads. The heads are usually solitary on long peduncles. Each head has 12-18 yellow ray flowers and 100+ reddish-purple disc flowers. The fruit is an achene. Savannah Sunflower is listed as a S1S2 species in Alabama (S1-typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state; S2 -typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond

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Native OBL (NWPL) S1S2 (State Rank) G4 (Global Rank)

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