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Helianthus pauciflorus

Nutt.

Stiff Sunflower

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140489
Element CodePDAST4N1Q0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusHelianthus
Synonyms
Helianthus rigidus(Cass.) Desf.
Other Common Names
Hélianthe raide (FR) stiff sunflower (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-11-18
Change Date1993-07-07
Edition Date2025-11-18
Edition AuthorsSkello, M. (1993), rev. Soteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Helianthus pauciflorus is a wide-ranging perennial herb found in dry to moderately wet open habitats, including prairies and grasslands, montane meadows, open ponderosa pine forests, and disturbed areas, such as pastures, roadsides, and along railroads. It occurs natively in central and northern North America from Quebec west to Alberta, Canada, south to Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico in the United States. It is nonnative in the eastern United States in New England and scattered locations in the southeast. There are over 700 occurrences, which potentially face threats from development, conversion to agriculture or pasture, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Helianthus pauciflorus occurs natively in central and northern North America from Quebec west to Alberta, Canada, south to Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico in the United States; it is nonnative in the eastern United States in New England and scattered locations in the southeast (FNA 2006, Native Plant Trust 2025, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be over 5.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 700 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, conversion to agriculture or pasture, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range and large number of occurrences.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Helianthus pauciflorus grows in dry to moderately wet open habitats, including prairies and grasslands, montane meadows, open ponderosa pine forests, and disturbed areas, such as pastures, roadsides, and along railroads (FNA 2006, Heil and O'Kane 2025, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
MaineSNANo
TexasSNRYes
New YorkSNANo
ColoradoS3Yes
VirginiaSNANo
North DakotaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNANo
New JerseySNRYes
MichiganS4Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
New HampshireSNANo
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
MontanaS4Yes
ConnecticutSNANo
KentuckySNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
VermontSNANo
IowaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecSNRYes
OntarioS2Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
ManitobaS3Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (3)
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Alamo CanyonSanta Fe National Forest8,639
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
RendijaSanta Fe National Forest2,176
References (11)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 pp.
  2. Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  4. Heil, K.D., and S.L. O'Kane. 2025. Vascular plants of New Mexico. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. 1119 pp.
  5. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Native Plant Trust. 2025. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org (accessed 2025).
  8. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  9. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  10. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  11. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).