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Helenium amarum var. badium
Helenium amarum (Raf.) H. Rock var. badium (A. Gray ex S. Watson) Waterf.
Brown Bitterweed, Basin Sneezeweed
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s): Helenium badium, Helenium tenuifolium var. badium
USDA Symbol: HEAMB2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Basin Sneezeweed is erect, 1 to 2-1/2 feet tall, and very hairy except on the flower stems. The threadlike leaves are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and are concentrated below the naked flower stems, which are 4-8 inches long. Flowers bloom at the end of the stem and are 1-2 inches across. Ray flowers are yellow and 3-toothed at the end, generally pointing downward. The disc flowers are reddish-brown and almost spherical, with the ray flowers attached to the lower side of the sphere.
The genus is thought to have been named by Linnaeus for Helen of Troy. The legend is that the flowers sprung up from the ground where her tears fell.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: AnnualHabit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 30 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Yellow , BrownBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Distribution
USA: OK , SC , TXValue to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Bibliography
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. LoughmillerBibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Additional resources
USDA: Find Helenium amarum var. badium in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Helenium amarum var. badium in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Helenium amarum var. badium
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-03-21Research By: TWC Staff