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Extension

Plant Profile 
FYUSE 3D Image

Common Name: Ashy Sunflower
Species Name: Helianthus mollis
Plant Type: Forb
Family Name: Asteraceae, Sunflower Family

   
Plant Facts
OriginNative
DurationPerennial 
Distribution in the U.S.Ohio and Wisconsin west to eastern Nebraska, Kansas and Texas
Distribution in OklahomaEastern half of the state

ID Characteristics

  • Field Identification Characteristics

    Vegetative

    • Leaves paired and directly attached to stem; edges wavy and tend to curl
    • Stems vertical with no branching except for flower heads

     Floral

    • Flowers are yellow with center being a darker yellowish-brown
    • Flower heads emerge between point where single leaf grows from stem
    • Seed somewhat triangular with rounded edges; only has fuzz on edges
  • Leaf and Stem Characteristics
    • Leaf Type: Simple 
    • Leaf Arrangement: Opposite; there is two leaves per node
    • Leaf Shape: Ovate to lanceolate; bases clasp stem
    • Stipules: Absent
  • Floral Characteristics
    • Petal Number: 15-35
    • Flower Color:Yellow
    • Flower Timing: July-September
    • Fruit Type: Achenes
   
Habitat/Ecology
Soil TypeSandy or sandy loam soils
HabitatPrairies and openings in woods on dry sites
Successional StageLate