WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 315 



deltoid-ovate, the upper ones united around the stem, the lower leaves 

 abruptly contracted into margined petioles. Rather thin in texture, 

 usually rough on both surfaces, the margins coarsely angulate-dentate or 

 the upper ones often entire, the larger leaves 6 to 12 inches long and 4 to 

 8 inches wide. Heads numerous, yellow, nearly flat, 2 to 3 inches broad, 

 composed of yellow ray flowers and disk flowers, the ray flowers twenty 

 to thirty in number, each about 1 inch long and one-sixth of an inch wide, 

 in two or three series. Outer bracts of the involucres broadly ovate, 

 ciliolate, foliaceous and spreading. 



Moist soil, chiefly on prairies, southern Ontario to Minnesota and 

 South Dakota, south to New Jersey, Georgia, Louisiana and Nebraska. 

 Naturalized about New York City and in a few other localities in the east. 

 Sometimes as an escape from cultivation. 



Oxeye; False Sunflower 



Heliopsis helianthoides (Linnaeus) Sweet 



Plate 252 



Heliopsis, the False Sunflower, differs from the true Sunflowers 

 (Helianthus) chiefly in having both the ray and disk flowers fertile, that is, 

 capable of producing seed. In the true Sunflowers, the ray flowers are 

 neutral. The Oxeye or False Sunflower is 3 to 5 feet high. Leaves opposite, 

 petioled, ovate to lanceolate, thin, rather evenly toothed on the margins, 

 3 to 6 inches long and 1 to 2\ inches wide. Heads of flowers yellow, borne 

 on long peduncles; bracts of the involucres oblong or linear-oblong, the 

 outer ones usually longer than the inner. 



In low or moist soil, usually in open places and along streams, Ontario 

 to New York, west to Illinois and North Dakota, south to Florida and 

 Tennessee. Flowering from July to September. Closely resembling the 

 Pale-leaved Wood Sunflower. 



