Sunflower Group - Aster Family

The Sunflower group
Asteraceae


Characteristics for this group: Flowerheads have both ray flowers and disk flowers Ray flowers have distinctive rays which are quite broad Disk flowers are arranged in a distinctive head

Guide to Identify Presented Species of the Sunflower group

PURPLE, BLUE OR WHITE RAYS
Aster - Asters Usually tall and leafy perennials with many flower heads per stem, flowering late. Flowerheads mostly purple, pink or white, the bracts in overlapping rows. Leaves alternate, not divided, usually lance-shaped and hairless.
Oreostemma alpigenum - Alpine Aster Perennial, 3-30 cm tall, short woolly-hairy above. Subalpine and alpine meadows. Flowerheads solitary, violet or lavender with 10-40 rays 7-15 mm long. Basal leaves entire, narrowly oblanceolate, 2-25 cm long and 1-15 mm wide.
Townsendia Usually low, cushion-like plants with no or short stems. Rocky areas. Flowerheads with white or pink rays, the bracts in several overlapping rows. Leaves mostly narrow, numerous from the base, sometimes on the stem too.
WHITE RAYS
Eucephalus engelmannii - Engelmann's Aster Perennial, 50-150 cm tall. Open woods, meadows, foothills to subalpine zone. Flowerheads white with about 13 rays, 1.5-2.5 cm long. Bracts papery, purplish. Leaves alternate, entire, lanceolate, hairless, 5-10 cm long and 1.5-3.5 cm wide.
Leucanthemum vulgare - Oxeye Daisy Perennial 20-80 cm tall, stems single, often in colonies. Fields and roadsides. Flowerheads white, about 5 cm wide, solitary, with 15-30 rays 1-2 cm long. Leaves alternate, spoon-shaped, mostly hairless, narrowly lobed toothed.
Tripleurospermum maritima - Scentless Mayweed Stem branched above, 10-60 cm tall, hairless. Weed in disturbed areas, shores. Flowerheads white with 12-25 rays, 6-13 mm long. Bracts oblong, blunt-tipped. Leaves alternate, 2-8 cm long, twice pinnately cut to linear segments 1 mm thick.
YELLOW RAYS, ALL LEAVES OPPOSITE
Arnica Perennials with mostly erect, simple stems. Mostly in the mountains. Flowerheads yellow with about 10-20 broad ray flowers. The bracts mostly equal. Leaves mostly few, simple, opposite in pairs, entire or toothed.
Bidens cernua - Nodding Beggartick Leafy, hairless plant, 10-100 cm tall, simple to freely branched. Low, wet places. Flowerheads have 6-8 yellow broad ray flowers. The bracts unequal, large, leafy. Leaves several, opposite, hairless, lance-shaped, mostly toothed, stalkless.
Coreopsis tinctoria - Golden Tickseed Annual or biennial plant, 30-120 cm tall. Moist banks and low ground. Flowerheads orange-yellow, the rays very broad, notched 2-3 times at tips. Leaves opposite, once or twice pinnately divided into segments 3-10 mm broad.
YELLOW RAYS, LEAVES BASAL OR THE UPPER ALTERNATE LEAVES LARGE AND ALMOST AS BROAD AS LONG
Balsamorhiza sagittata - Arrow-leaved Balsamroot Perennial, stems several, 20-70 cm tall, in colonies. Open hillsides and flats. Flowerheads yellow, solitary, 5-8 cm across. The bracts mostly long-woolly-hairy. Leaves mainly basal, large, arrow-shaped, covered with dense felt-like hairs.
Helianthus annuus - Common Sunflower Coarse annual, 40-200 cm tall. Open, dry or moderately moist areas, roadsides. Flowerheads several, large with yellow rays around a large button of disk flowers. Leaves alternate, egg- to heart-shaped with rough hairs and long stalks.
Rudbeckia laciniata - Cut-leaved Coneflower Perennial, up to about 200 cm tall, the stems often waxy-coated. Moist areas. Flowerheads yellow, 6-12 cm across, with 6-16 rays. The disk almost spherical. Leaves alternate, 10-25 cm long, about as broad, deeply cut to broad segments.
YELLOW RAYS, ALTERNATE UPPER LEAVES LEAVES NARROW AND ENTIRE OR TOOTHED
Eriophyllum lanatum - Woolly Sunflower Slightly woolly-hairy perennial, 10-60 cm tall, in small colonies. Dry, open places. Flowerheads mostly single, yellow with 8-13 rays. The bracts keeled, grey-woolly. Leaves opposite, pinnate or 3-parted or alternate and entire, depending on variety.
Gaillardia aristata - Brown-eyed Susan Stems 1 to several, 20-70 cm tall. Dry meadows, open woods, foothills-montane. Flowerheads single, with large, purple-brown, domed cluster of disc florets. Leaves basal and alternate, lance-shaped and with soft hairs.
Grindelia squarrosa - Curly Gumweed Aromatic plant, 20-60 cm tall, hairless, with many banches. Dry, open places. Flowerheads yellow, 2-3 cm wide, with sticky, backward curling involucral bracts. Leaves alternate, oblong, 10-35 mm long, 6-12 mm wide, with resinous glands.
Helianthella - Little Sunflower Stems leafy, several from a branching base, 20-150 cm tall. Mountain meadows. Flowerheads few, yellow with 13-21 rays 2.5-4.5 cm long. Bracts hairy on edges. Leaves entire, broad-lanceolate, the upper alternate, lower opposite, 3-5-nerved.
Helianthus nuttallii - Nuttall's Sunflower Perennial, 60-200 cm tall, the stem often with a waxy cast. Moist meadows. Flowerheads yellow, 4-8 cm wide with 10-16 rays. Bracts narrow, hairy on edges. Leaves alternate above, opposite below, narrowly lanceolate, mostly entire.
Heterotheca villosa - Golden Aster Stems several, 10-50 cm tall, often with woody base. Open, sunny areas. Flowerheads several, about 2.5 cm wide, yellow, with 10-25 rays, 6-10 mm long. Leaves alternate, narrow, numerous, entire, silky-hairy, 2-5 cm long.
Hulsea algida - Alpine Hulsea Plant with several densely glandular stems, 10-40 cm tall. Rocky areas, alpine. Flowerheads yellow, the disk 2-3.5 cm wide, rays 7-15 mm long. Bracts glandular. Leaves basal and alternate, succulent, coarsely blunt-toothed or shallowly lobed.
Senecio Perennials with erect, mostly simple and hairless stems. Mostly in moist areas. Flowerheads with few rays, often with spaces between. Bracts in one equal row. Leaves alternate, sometimes all basal, entire to variously toothed or divided.
Stenotus acaulis - Stemless Goldenweed Perennial, hairless, 1.5-15 cm tall, densely tufted, in colonies. Dry, open places. Flowerheads solitary, with 6-15 yellow rays, 8-12 mm long. Bracts broad, thin. Leaves mainly basal, mat-forming, erect, entire, rigid, 1-5 cm long, 2-7 mm wide.
YELLOW RAYS, ALTERNATE UPPER LEAVES LEAVES CUT INTO NARROW SEGMENTS
Ratibida columnifera - Prairie Coneflower Stems 30-120 cm tall, usually several from base. Prairies, disturbed ground. Flowerheads with 3-7 rays, the disc cluster raised to a tall, cylindrical column. Leaves alternate, lance-shaped, deeply pinnately cut into 5-9 segments.
YELLOW RAYS, LEAVES BASAL ONLY
Tetraneuris acaulis - Stemless Hymenoxys Stem mostly flat-silky-hairy, up to 30 cm tall. Dry, rocky hillsides, high plains. Flowerheads solitary, yellow, the rays very broad and 3-5-toothed at the tips. Leaves all basal, oblanceolate, entire, usually silvery with short, flat hairs.

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