PARK AND CEMETERY 
485 
Some Eittle-Known Native Ornamentals— V. 
Three Little Known Sunflowers 
By Wilfred A. Brotherton. 
It is not generally known that there are fully sixty 
distinct species of Helianthus, sunflower, and yet 
everybody has heard of the name of sunflower, an 
exclusively American genus. 
Of the species native of Michigan, my attention 
has been specially attracted by three which I think 
should be better known. 
Sa%-Toothed Sunflower, {Helianthus grosse-serratus.) 
It is supposed that two or three species are confused 
in this one. The plant I am familiar with is the rarest 
sunflower in Southeast Michigan. I have never found 
but two or three groups of it, 25 miles apart in differ- 
ent counties. It is one of the most showy of all sun- 
flowers. In habit it differs very widely from the giant 
sunflower (Helianthus giganteus), notably in these 
respects ; It does not form solitary clumps like the 
Giant sunflower, but forms large, dense' masses, hence 
is specially adapted for massing, not for solitary 
groups. The roots are not thick and fleshy tuberous 
as in the Giant sunflower. It is much less tall than 
the Giant sunflower — five to eight feet tall. The 
flower heads are larger, much more showy, and vasth^ 
more numerous. Stems five to eight feet tall, very 
smoth and highly polished, glaucous (sea-green), 
leaves rich, shining green, smooth, lanceolate, very 
coarsely toothed. Plant imensely branching, bearing 
very many large, brilliant golden yellow flower-heads, 
i about three inches wide. Grows well in any soil not 
j too wet. Extra fine for forming masses of yellow. 
Indian Potato SunfIo')i>er {Helianthus subtuberosus 
Bourgeau), 
The roots of this species bear fleshy tubers of a deli- 
cious flavor, greedily devoured by boys, and one of the 
original foods of the Indians, as was the potato and 
sweet potato, and as different from either as each 
differs from the other, belonging to widely different 
genera. By the way, the name Potato properly be- 
longs to Solanum tuberosum alone,— the so-called 
Sweet Potato should be called Batata, — which would 
save much confusion and silly nonsense, and it should 
be expressly known that no variety of Sweet Potato 
bears any resemblance to yams, and Southerners make 
a grievous mistake in calling large, coarse Sweet 
Potatoes, Yams, the Yam being no more like a Sweet 
Potato than are Indian Corn and Sugar Cane, though 
it has a thickened, in some cases edible, root stalk, 
while Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are tubers. 
The name “Indian Potato” has been suggested for 
this Sunflower, as it is a standard Indian food, but it 
is clearly a misnomer, as the name Indian Potato 
clearly belongs to the common Potato, it also being an 
original Indian food. As the roots bear edible tubers 
that must be dug' from the ground like Potatoes, it 
might be allowable to call it Indian Potato Sunflower, 
yet it would be better to have learned the original 
Indian name. 
Plant forms clumps arising from tuberous roots, 
4 to 6 feet tall, rough, coarse, bristly, hairj. Leaves 
mostly opposite, thick, narrow. P'lower-heads not nu- 
merous, smaller than those of the Giant Sunflower, of 
a much paler yellow. While the tubers of the Giant 
Sunflower are as inedible as those of the Indian Tur- 
nip, the roots of this species have a sweet, delicate, 
aromatic flavor, highly pleasing to the palate of the 
average boy. It deserves attention as a possible food- 
plant, for our race as well as the Indians. Flavor 
much superior to that of the Tuberous-rooted Sun- 
flower, barbarically dubbed “Jerusalem Artichoke,” 
which is neither an artichoke, nor ever came from Jeru- 
salem, it being purely American, the name Jerusalem 
in this case barbarically originating from the Italian 
Girasole, Sunflower, — as did “Strawberry” from 
strayberry, “Horse”-radish from Harsh-Radish. etc. 
