Helianthus debilis Nutt. - Dune Sunflower
Family - Asteraceae
Stems:
Leaves:
Adaxial leaf surface.
Abaxial leaf surface.
Inflorescence:
N/A
Involucre:
Ray flowers:
Disk flowers:
Disk close-up.
Flowering - May - December. Year-round further south.
Habitat - Coastal dunes, sandy open ground, disturbed sites, waste places. Also cultivated.
Origin - Native to North America.
Other information - This attractive species can be found in a handful of southern Alabama counties. The plant is easy to identify becasue of its thick, dark-green leaves (which have long petioles), its clambering stems, its big yellow flowers, and its habitat. The plant is common on beach dunes throughout the southeast.
The genus name Helianthus derives from the Greek "helio" meaning "sun" and "anth(us)" meaning "flower".
The species epithet debilis comes from the Latin "debil(i)" meaning "weak" referring to the stems.
Alabama Distribution:
Photographs taken in Daytona Beach Shores, FL., 12-27-03.