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Flaigg, Norman G.

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.

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: 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 , Brown
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: OK , SC , TX

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This 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. Loughmiller
Bibref 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 Plants
FNA: Find Helenium amarum var. badium in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Helenium amarum var. badium

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-03-21
Research By: TWC Staff

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