Helianthus nuttallii subsp. parishii is a subspecies of the species Helianthus nuttallii in the genus Helianthus, family Asteraceae.[1][2] It is also known by the common names Los Angeles sunflower[1] and Parish's sunflower.[3] This subspecies has not been seen, in the wild or in cultivation, since 1937.[1]
Description
Stems: Range from glabrous (smooth) to tomentose (furry).[1]
Leaves: Leaf arrangement is alternate. Upper leaf surfaces are hairy and rough or tomentose, while the lower leaf surfaces are more or less finely tomentose.[1]
Inflorescences: Variable number of flowers are borne in round or flat-topped clusters. Peduncles (flower stalks) and phyllaries (involucral bracts) are densely hairy. Flowers from August–October.[1]
Ray Florets: Typically 12-21 ray florets per capitulum. Individual ray florets measure between 15-25mm in length.[1]
Disc Florets: Corollas measure 5-7mm, with yellow lobes.[1]
Fruits: Fruits measure 3-4mm in length, with a pappus scales 3-4mm, sometimes less.[1]
Habitat and distribution
Inhabits marshy areas less than 500m above sea level in central western and southwestern California.[1]
Etymology
Helianthus is derived from Greek, meaning 'sun-flower' ('heli' meaning 'sun', and 'anthus', as in 'anther', meaning 'flower'). As the large, yellow-gold heads of many species tend to follow the sun, the Italian-derived 'girare-sole', literally meaning 'turning sun', is also a cognate with 'Jerusalem', as in Jerusalem Artichoke.[4]
^ abcdefghijBaldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, editors. 2012. "The Jepson Manual: vascular plants of California", second edition. University of California press, Berkeley. ISBN9780520253124. pp 344
^ abGledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN9780521685535 (paperback). pp 194, 275, 291
^A. Gray. Contributions to North American Botany. (1883) Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. volume 19. [1]
