Little-sunflower, a perennial herb belonging to the sunflower tribe of the aster 

 family (Compositae), is closely related to the common sunflowers (Helianthus 

 spp.). It is one of the most important forage plants of the Helianthella genus, 

 which is represented in the West by about nine species, all similar in appearance 

 and palatability. The scientific name of this species is very descriptive. In the 

 generic name the diminutive suffix -ella signifies that it is a small Helianthus, 

 or sunflower (from the Greek, hclios, sun; anthos, flower) ; hence the common 

 name, little-sunflower. The specific name uniflora, meaning one flower, refers 

 to the usually solitary flower head. The names one-flowered sunflower and 

 single-flowered helianthella are also sometimes used for this species. 



Little-sunflower ranges from Montana to eastern Oregon and south to Nevada, 

 Arizona, and New Mexico. It occurs at medium to high elevations and may be 

 found up to 10,000 feet in Utah. It grows on moderately rich soils in wheat- 

 grass and weed types, on open exposures within the oakbrush, ponderosa pine, 

 and aspen types and extends into the spruce-fir zone. Among its most common 

 associates are arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine, yarrow, Idaho fesc,ue, mules-ears, 

 geranium, and snowberry. This plant usually grows in mixture with other 

 plants, and rarely, if ever, occurs in pure stands. It sometimes grows in 

 abundance in dense patches but as a rule is scattered. 



Little-sunflower apparently does not occur in California, but the genus is 

 represented in that State by other species of Helianthetta. The most common, 

 of these is H. californica, which is very similar to little-sunflower but of less 

 importance as a forage plant. In Oregon little-sunflower grows on the eastern 

 side only of the Cascade Mountains, and there appears to be no authentic 

 record of its occurrence in Washington. However, a closely related northwest- 

 ern species, H. douglasii, is sometimes mistaken for it, the two species being 

 very similar in appearance and forage value. H. douglasii, which differs mainly 

 in being more hairy-stemmed and having thinner leaves, is common in eastern 

 Oregon and Washington and extends northward to British Columbia and east- 

 ward into western Wyoming and Montana. 



In some sections little-sunflower provides considerable forage. The leafage, 

 flowers, and more tender portions of the stems are eaten by all classes of graz- 

 ing animals, being fair to very good in palatability for sheep nml only slightly 

 less palatable for cattle. The flower heads are eaten with unusual relish. The 

 foliage is utilized by all classes of grazing animals during the summer but after 

 drying in the fall is grazed to a less extent by livestock and game. The strong 

 Avoody taproot enables this plant to stand up unusually well under heavy graz- 

 ing and trampling. Reproduction is from seed only. The seed usually ripens 

 during August and is shed soon after maturity. 



The helianthellas are often confused with some of the common sunflowers 

 (Helianthus spp.), but can be distinguished by the "seeds" (achenes), which are 

 strongly compressed, narrowly winged along the edges, notched on top and 

 tipped with a pair of scaly awns. On the other hand, the "seeds" of the common 

 sunflowers are 4-angled and thickened and are neither winged, strongly flattened, 

 nor notched. The helianthellas are also sometimes confused with Vigulera 

 multiflora which differs, however, in having numerous flowers, dark green foli- 

 age, thickened "seeds", and in being smaller and more slender-stemmed. The 

 stems of little-sunflower are 1 to 2 feet high and grow in rather loose bunches of 

 20 to 30 from a tough woody root crown. The lower leaves are largest and have 

 short stems (petioles) ; the upper ones are stemless and tend to get smaller 

 toward the top, the topmost sometimes being very small. The yellow flower 

 heads are large (up to 2% inches across) and usually borne solitary on the 

 stem though occasionally the stems branch into two or more stalks, each bear- 

 ing a single flower. The individual flowers of the flower head are set among 

 firm-papery bracts (paleae) on the common seed-bearing disk (receptacle). 

 The circle of bracts (involucre) below the flower head is somewhat rigid and 

 hairy especially on the edges. 



