Leaves with lower ones opposite, upper ones alternate, ovate to triangular, entire or toothed
Capitula radiate, or rarely discoid, usually medium to large, solitary, long-pedunculate
Involucre hemispherical; bracts in 2 to many rows, often herbaceous
Receptacle flat or convex, paleate; paleae enfolding disc florets
Ray florets neuter; corolla yellow, occasionally reddish, strap-shaped, conspicuous
Disc florets bisexual, fertile; corolla yellow or sometimes partly or wholly purple, narrowly tubular below, expanded above, 5-toothed
Anthers entire or minutely sagittate at base; with apical appendage
Style with branches narrowly oblong, tips acutely deltoid with long or short sweeping hairs on outer face
Cypselas obovate, ± compressed, often apically emarginate
Pappus of 2 deciduous awn-like scales
x = 17 (5, 7, 8, 9) (aneuploids, polyploidy)
Nomenclature:
*Helianthus L.
Linnaeus: 904 (1753)
Linnaeus: 386 (1754)
Wild: 57 (1967)
Hilliard: 309 (1977)
Karis & Ryding: 602 (1994)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Species 50, North America
Southern Africa: Species 3 as occasional escapes, recorded from Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape
References:
HILLIARD, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg
KARIS, P.O. & RYDING, O. 1994. Tribes Helenieae and Heliantheae. In K. Bremer, Asteraceae, cladistics and classification. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon
LINNAEUS, C. VON. 1753. Species plantarum. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
LINNAEUS, C. VON. 1754. Genera plantarum, edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
WILD, H. 1967. The Compositae of the Flora zambesiaca area, 1. Kirkia 6
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Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
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In future, Team SANBI will be able to log in using their day-to-day login details, BGIS users will be able to use their existing accounts and details, and general users will be able to log in using their LinkedIn profile, but for now you will need to create an account.
