''Helenium elegans'' is a North American

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

in the sunflower family, commonly known as pretty sneezeweed. It is native to the south-central United States and to northeastern Mexico.Turner, B. L. 2013. The comps of Mexico. A systematic account of the family Asteraceae (chapter 11: tribe Helenieae). Phytologia Memoirs 16: 1–100 ''Helenium elegans'' is an annual herb up to 120 cm (4 feet) tall. Stems have wings, meaning that they have flaps of tissue running down the sides. One plant can produce 200 or more small

flower heads A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

, in branching arrays. The head is very nearly spherical, nearly covered with as many as 700

disc floret Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

s, each floret yellow near the base but brown towards the tip. There are also 1-17 yellow or brown

ray florets Asteraceae () is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger fa ...

. The species grows along streambanks and in ditches. ;VarietiesThe Plant List, ''Helenium elegans'' DC.
/ref>Flora of North America, ''Helenium elegans'' de Candolle 1836. Pretty sneezeweed
/ref> *''Helenium elegans'' var. ''amphibolum'' (A.Gray) Bierner -

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Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...

*''Helenium elegans'' var. ''elegans'' -

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References

Flora of the Southern United States Flora of Northeastern Mexico Plants described in 1836 elegans {{Asteroideae-stub