Fewleaf Sunflower

Perennials, 60–150 cm (rhizomatous, sometimes stoloniferous as well). Stems (often reddish) erect, pilose to appressed-hairy proximally. Leaves mostly basal; opposite; petioles 2.5–10 cm; blades oblong-lanceolate or elliptic to ovate, 5–20 × 1.5–7 cm, bases cuneate, margins entire or serrulate, abaxial faces scabrous to hispidulous, gland-dotted (cauline usually smaller, rarely 2–4 pairs well developed). Heads 1–4(–12). Peduncles 1–14 cm. Involucres cylindric, 9–14 mm diam. Phyllaries 20–25, lanceolate, 4.5–7(–11) × 1.5–2.5 mm, (margins usually ciliate) apices acute to short-acuminate, abaxial faces glabrate to sparsely pilose (hairs moniliform), not gland-dotted. Paleae 5–7 mm, subentire to 3-toothed (shortly mucronate). Ray florets 8–14; laminae 18–22 mm (abaxial faces densely gland-dotted). Disc florets 50+; corollas 4.5–5.5 mm, lobes yellow; anthers dark brown or black, appendages yellow. Cypselae 3–4 (–5) mm, sparsely villous or glabrate; pappi of 2 aristate scales 1.5–2.8 mm plus 0–4 deltate scales 0.4–1 mm. 2n = 34 (subspecies unknown).

Helianthus occidentalis, the fewleaf sunflower or western sunflower, is a species of sunflower native to the Eastern and Central United States. It grows mostly in the Great Lakes Region and in the Ozarks, with additional populations scattered as far as Massachusetts, Texas, and the Florida Panhandle.

Helianthus occidentalis differs from other, similar species by its sparse leaves, most of which are crowded around the lower part of the stem. This perennial plant reaches heights from 2 to 5 ft (60–150 cm). It produces one to several yellow flower heads, each with 8-14 ray florets surrounding more than 50 disc florets.

The word occidentalis means "western" in Latin. The plant was first described in 1836, when the Great Lakes Region was considered the western part of the United States.

Subspecies Helianthus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis - most of species range Helianthus occidentalis subsp. plantagineus (Torr. & A.Gray) Shinners - Texas, Arkansas