Helenium
Helenium amarum
In the genus helenium (Helenium ) from the sunflower family ( Asteraceae) are summarized about 32 species of plants. The large distribution area extends across North, Central and South America. Some species are used as ornamental plants.
Description
The Sneezeweed species are annual or perennial herbaceous plants. The leafy stems are upright and can reach heights of growth of about 10 to 160 centimeters. The change-constant leaves are oval, lanceolate to linear, sometimes pinnatisect. Leaves and stems can be hairy in different species or smooth. By running down leaf bases, the stems are often winged.
Each stem bears one or usually several basket- like inflorescences. These are spherical or semi- spherical and comprises of two rows of bracts. The ray florets are missing or are yellow, orange, red, red - brown, sometimes in two colors. The tubular flowers are 75 to over 1000 per inflorescence abundant, the four - or fünfzipflige crown is yellow, yellow- green or reddish in color. The fruits are achenes with pappus.
Use
Varieties of a few species are used as ornamental plants. The color range includes warm yellow, orange, red and red- brown colors that bloom season extends from July to September. Karl Foerster bred some still available varieties from Helenium bigelovii Helenium autumnale and. Since these species are native to moist meadows, the plants should be watered of prolonged drought. The discussion circle Staudensichtung 2005, the varieties commercially available were evaluated. Sneezeweed is the Perennial Plant of the Year 2008.
Species
Carl Linnaeus described 1753 as the first Sneezeweed scientifically with the only then known type Helenium autumnale. The commercially available under the name Helenium hoopesii encountered plants belong to the genus Hymenoxys. A selection of currently known species in the genus Helenium:
- Helenium amarum
- Helenium arizonicum
- Helenium aromaticum
- Helenium atacamense
- Helenium autumnale
- Helenium bigelovii
- Helenium bolanderi
- Helenium brevifolium
- Helenium campestre
- Helenium drummondii
- Helenium elegans
- Helenium flexuosum
- Helenium glaucum
- Helenium linifolium
- Helenium microcephalum
- Helenium pinnatifidum
- Helenium puberulum
- Helenium quad ride tatum
- Helenium thurberi
- Helenium urmenetae
- Helenium vernale
- Helenium virginicum