Shortleaf sneezeweed

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

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.

Flowering Mar–May. Ditches, fields, other moist areas such as wet woods, bogs, and swamp edges; 0–80 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., Va.