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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]

Helianthus nuttallii subsp. parishii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Helianthus
Species:	H. nuttallii
Subspecies:	H. n. subsp. parishii
Trinomial name
Helianthus nuttallii subsp. parishii (A.Gray) Heiser

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]

Nuttallii is named for Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), a grower of American plants at Rainhill in Lancashire, though he lived in Long Preston in Yorkshire.[4]

Parishii is named for Samuel Bonsall Parish and William Fletcher Parish, California botanists.[5]

References

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