About Verbesina helianthoides Michx.
Verbesina helianthoides Michx., commonly known as yellow crownbeard or gravelweed, is a flowering plant species in the Asteraceae family. It is native to the United States, and occurs primarily in the Upper South and South Central regions of the country. Its natural habitat consists of plant communities that get abundant sunlight, including open woodlands, prairies, and glades. It is a tall, leafy perennial that reaches a height of 1 m (39 in). This species has hairy, winged stems, and alternate leaves that are coarsely hairy on their upper surface. The leaves have widely spaced small teeth, and measure 6–15 cm (2.4–5.9 in) long. It produces yellow flowers between May and October. Each composite flower is 5–6 cm (2–2.5 in) across, holding 40 to 80 yellow tubular disk flowers surrounded by around twelve yellow ray flowers. Its flowering period begins much earlier in the year than other co-occurring Verbesina species, including yellow-flowered Verbesina alternifolia and white-flowered Verbesina virginica. It is also shorter in height than these co-occurring species.
