Heliomeris is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae,[ Nuttall, Thomas. 1848. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 4(1): 19 (entirely in English)][ Tropicos, Heliomeris Nutt.] known generally as false goldeneyes.[
]
They are native to the western United States and northern Mexico. One species, H. obscura, is separated from the others, endemic to a remote area on the border between the Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca.[Yates, W. F., Jr. and C. B. Heiser Jr. 1979. Synopsis of Heliomeris (Compositae). Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 88: 364-372.]
These are annual and perennial herbs producing sunflower-like radiate flower heads. They are distinguished from related genera by the achenes, which are glabrous and lack a pappus, and by the involucre, which consists of only 2 series of bracts.[ Flora North America, Heliomeris Nutt.
]
Botanists Schilling & Panero in 2002 and 2011, studied the subtribe Helianthinae based on molecular sequences of nuclear ITS, ETS, and Chloroplast DNA, coming to a conclusion that the genus Viguiera , did not constitute a monophyletic group. Among their conclusions they proposed to reclassify the genus, dividing and relocating its species in at least other nine genera: Aldama , Bahiopsis , Calanticaria , Davilanthus , Dendroviguiera , Gonzalezia , Heiseria , Heliomeris , Hymenostephium , Sidneya and Viguiera .
Species
As accepted;[ Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist ][ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps]
-
Heliomeris hispida - rough false goldeneye, hairy goldeneye - Sonora, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah
-
Heliomeris longifolia - longleaf false goldeneye - Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, Michoacán, Chiapas, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada
-
Heliomeris multiflora - showy goldeneye - from San Luis Potosí + southern California to Montana
-
Heliomeris obscura - Puebla, Oaxaca
-
Heliomeris soliceps - tropical false goldeneye, paria sunflower - Kane County in Utah
External links