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Brundage, Stephanie

Helenium drummondii

Helenium drummondii H. Rock

Fringed Sneezeweed

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Helenium fimbriatum, Leptopoda fimbriata

USDA Symbol: HEDR2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Fringed Sneezeweed grows on slender, unbranched stems, about 2-3 feet tall. Leaves are alternate, thin and long, becoming mere bracts on the upper half of the plant. There is 1 flower head at the end of each stem, with 10-16 yellow ray flowers, 3/4-1 inch long and toothed on the end. The center or disc flowers are yellow and almost spherical. The large blossoms at the end of long, leafless stems attract the attention they deserve. They often grow in patches in damp, open areas.

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.

The species name of this plant is named for Thomas Drummond, (ca. 1790-1835), naturalist, born in Scotland, around 1790. In 1830 he made a trip to America to collect specimens from the western and southern United States. In March, 1833, he arrived at Velasco, Texas to begin his collecting work in that area. He spent twenty-one months working the area between Galveston Island and the Edwards Plateau, especially along the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe rivers. His collections were the first made in Texas that were extensively distributed among the museums and scientific institutions of the world. He collected 750 species of plants and 150 specimens of birds. Drummond had hoped to make a complete botanical survey of Texas, but he died in Havana, Cuba, in 1835, while making a collecting tour of that island.

From the Image Gallery

16 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: LA , 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.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL					FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1306 Collected 2009-04-14 in Brazoria County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Helenium drummondii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Helenium drummondii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Helenium drummondii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2017-12-12
Research By: TWC Staff

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