Short Leaf Sneezeweed

Perennials, 20–100 cm. Stems usually 1, unbranched or sparingly branched distally, weakly to moderately winged, glabrous proximally, sparsely to moderately hairy distally. Leaves glabrous or sparsely hairy; basal blades oblanceolate to spatulate, entire or undulate to undulate-serrate; proximal and mid blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, usually entire, sometimes undulate to undulate-serrate; distal blades lance-linear, entire. Heads 1–10 per plant, borne singly or in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays. Peduncles (3–)6–11(–15) cm, sparsely to moderately hairy. Involucres hemispheric to globoid, 10–15 × 10–20 mm. Phyllaries (connate proximally) sparsely to moderately hairy. Ray florets 9–24, neuter; corollas yellow, 12.5–21 × 4–8 mm. Disc florets 200–500(–800+); corollas yellow proximally, usually purple to yellow or yellow-brown distally, 4–5.6 mm, lobes 5. Cypselae 1–1.4 mm, sparsely to moderately hairy; pappi of 6–8 entire, non-aristate scales 1–1.7 mm. 2n = 26, 28.

Leptopoda brevifolia Nuttall, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 373. 1841; Helenium curtisii A. Gray

Helenium brevifolium (Nutt.) Wood, Bot. & Fl. L82. 1S70
Leptopoda brevifolia Nutt. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. II. 7: 373. 1841. Heleniastrum brevifolium ECuntze, Rev. Gen. 342. 1891.
A simple perennial, with a rootstock; stem 3-8 dm. high, glabrous or glabrate, only slightly winged; basal leaves spatulate, 5-8 cm. long, obtuse, entire or undulate, rather thick, glabrous; stem-leaves smaller, oblanceolate, entire, acutish; heador rarely 2; peduncles 5-20 cm. long; bracts linear-lanceolate or linear, 8-10 mm. lung, acute; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, 1-1.5 cm. long; disk purplish or brown, 10-18 mm. broad; corollas 4 nun. long; tube very short; achenes 1.5 mm. long, hirsutulous on the ribs; squamellae oval, nearly entire.
Type locality: South Carolina.
Distribution: North Carolina to Florida and Alabama.

Helenium curtisii A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 9: 204. 1874
Leptopoda brevifolia P T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 2: 387. 1842.
Leptopoda integrijolia M. A. Curt.; T. & G. Fl. N. Am. 2: 387, as synonym. 1842. Heleniastrum Curtisii Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 342. 1891.
Helenium integrifolium C. Mohr, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 6: 811. 1901. Not H. inlegrifolium Benth. & Hook. 1881.
A simple perennial, with a rootstock; stem 5-10 dm. high, narrowly winged, simple or slightly branched above, glabrous; basal leaves oblanceolate, 1-1.5 dm. long, sparingly puberulent, undulate; stem-leaves narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, entire; heads solitary or 2 or 3, on long peduncles; peduncles 1-3 dm. long, thickened upwards; bracts lanceolate to lance-subulate, 5-8 mm. long; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, 15-20 mm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, with 3-4 obtuse lobes; disk 18-20 mm. broad, hemispheric; corollas 4.5-5 mm. long; tube very short; throat cylindric; achenes 1.5 mm. long, hirsute on the ribs; squamellae 6-8, obovate, entire, obtuse, 1.5 mm. long.
Type locality: Raleigh, North Carolina. Distribution: North Carolina to Florida.

Helenium brevifolium is a North American perennial plant in the sunflower family, commonly known as shortleaf sneezeweed. It is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia to eastern Louisiana and inland as far as Tennessee.

Helenium brevifolium is an perennial herb up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall. One plant can produce as many as 10 flower heads, in branching arrays. The head is spherical or hemispherical, with sometimes as many as 800 disc florets, each floret yellow near the base but purple or brown or yellow towards the tip. There are also 9-24 yellow ray florets. The species grows in bogs, swamps, and other wet places.