Simsia

Persoon

Syn. Pl. 2: 478. 1807.

Common names: Bush sunflower
Etymology: For John Sims, 1749–1831, British physician and botanist
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 21. Treatment on page 140. Mentioned on page 135.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA21 P23 Sclerocarpus uniseria.jpegSclerocarpus uniserialis
Tithonia thurberi
Simsia calva
Linny Heagy
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Annuals, perennials, or subshrubs [shrubs], 20–400 cm. Stems erect or ascending [decumbent], sparingly to freely branched. Leaves cauline; opposite (proximal) or alternate [whorled]; petiolate (petioles often ± winged, often with expanded bases, those bases sometimes fused to form nodal “discs”) [sessile]; blades 3-nerved from bases, mostly deltate to ovate [linear], sometimes 3- [5-] lobed [pinnatifid], bases cordate to cuneate, ultimate margins entire or toothed, faces hirsute, hispid, pilose, puberulent, scabrous, or scabro-hispid [sericeous], often glanddotted or ± stipitate-glandular to glandular-puberulent. Heads radiate [discoid], borne singly or in 2s or 3s, or in tight to loose, corymbiform [paniculiform] arrays. Involucres campanulate [ovoid-campanulate to urceolate], 5–16 [–22] mm diam. Phyllaries persistent, [11–] 13–43 [–66] in 2–4 series (tightly appressed to broadly reflexed, unequal to subequal). Receptacles low-convex, paleate (paleae conduplicate, ± enclosing cypselae). Ray-florets [0–] 5–21 [–45], styliferous and sterile; corollas orange-yellow [lemon-yellow, pink, purple, or white]. Disc-florets [12–] 13–154 [–172], bisexual, fertile; corollas concolorous with rays (usually turning purple apically), tubes (often glandular-hairy) shorter than throats, lobes 5, ± triangular (anthers black, yellow, or yellow proximally and bronze or purple distally; style-branches relatively slender, apices sometimes attenuate). Cypselae flattened, thin-margined [thickened, biconvex] (shoulders minute to conspicuous, faces glabrous or hairy); pappi 0, or fragile or readily falling, of 2 ± subulate scales [plus 4–12 shorter scales]. x = 17.

Distribution

sw United States, Mexico, West Indies (Jamaica), Central America, South America

Discussion

Species 20 (2 in the flora).

Key

1 Perennials or subshrubs (roots fusiform-thickened); ray florets 8–21, corollas light orange-yellow (abaxial faces often brown- or purple-lined, or wholly brown or purple); disc florets (26–)90–154; anthers usually yellow, rarely black Simsia calva
1 Annuals (rarely persisting, taprooted or fibrous rooted); ray florets 5–10, corollas orange-yellow; disc florets 13–27; anthers yellow proximally, usually purple to bronze distally Simsia lagasceiformis
... more about "Simsia"
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
pale +  and dark +
connate +  and distinct +
subequal +
scarious +
usually ovate +  and lanceolate +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
David M. Spooner +
Persoon +
cordate +  and cuneate +
lobed;mostly deltate;ovate +
winged;ribbed;winged;ribbed +
tuberculate +  and rugose +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
Bush sunflower +
concolorous +  and orange-yellow +
thin-margined +
hairy +  and glabrous +
flattened +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
sw United States +, Mexico +, West Indies (Jamaica) +, Central America +  and South America +
For John Sims, 1749–1831, British physician and botanist +
less stipitate-glandular +  and glandular-puberulent +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
in 2s or 3s , or in tight +  and singly +
indeterminate +
homogamous +  and heterogamous +
each +  and sessile +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
campanulate +
alternate +  and opposite +
triangular +
dentate to pinnatifid or palmatifid +  and entire +
2-carpellate +
persistent +
coroniform +
13 +  and 43 +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
spooner1990a +
subulate +
exalbuminous +
ascending +  and erect +
appendaged +  and truncate +
hirsutulous +  and glabrous +
papillate +
Undefined (tribe Undefined) subtribe Lagasceinae +
Asteraceae (tribe Heliantheae) subtribe Helianthinae +
cylindric +
toothed +  and entire +
perennial +  and annual +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (400 cm4,000 mm <br />4 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +