Taxon:  Helianthus giganteus L.



Summary
Genus:
Helianthus
Family:
Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Subfamily:
Asteroideae
Tribe:
Heliantheae
Nomen number:
27927
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:905.  1753
Verified:
03/08/2010 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
43 (27  active, 26  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)
Habit

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Atlagic, J. 2004. Roles of interspecific hybridization and cytogenetic studies in sunflower breeding. Helia 27:1-24.
  2. Browne, E. T. & R. Athey. 1992. Vascular plants of Kentucky: an annotated checklist
  3. Chester, E. W. et al. 1993-1997. Atlas of Tennessee vascular plants.
  4. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1455.
  5. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  6. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  7. Georgieva-Todorova, J. 1984. Interspecific hybridization in the genus Helianthus L. Z. Pflanzenzücht. 93:265-279. Note: replaced by Plant Breeding (New York)
  8. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1962. Species crosses in Helianthus: I. Diploid species. Brittonia 14:137-147.
  9. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
  10. Henn, J.-J. et al. 1998. Regeneration of fertile interspecific hybrids from protoplast fusions between Helianthus annuus L. and wild Helianthus species. Pl. Cell Rep. 18:220-224.
  11. Henn, J.-J. et al. 1998. Regeneration of fertile plants from Helianthus nuttallii T&G and Helianthus giganteus L. mesophyll protoplasts. Pl. Cell Rep. 18:288-291.
  12. Horn, R. 2002. Molecular diversity of male sterility inducing and male-fertile cytoplasms in the genus Helianthus. Theor. Appl. Genet. 104:562-570.
  13. Jarvis, C. E. & N. J. Turland, eds. 1998. Typification of Linnaean specific and varietal names in the Compositae (Asteraceae). Taxon 47:362. Note: typification
  14. Kantar, M. B. et al. 2015. Ecogeography and utility to plant breeding of the crop wild relatives of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) . Front. Plant Sci. 6: Art. 841.
  15. Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
  16. Ownbey, G. B. & T. Morley. 1991. Vascular plants of Minnesota: a checklist and atlas
  17. Radford, A. E. et al., eds. 1980-. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States.
  18. Rogers, C. E. et al. 1982. Sunflower species of the United States 46.
  19. Schilling, E. E. et al. 1998. Phylogenetic relationships in Helianthus (Asteraceae) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region sequence data. Syst. Bot. 23:177-187. www.aspt.net/systematic-botany
  20. Seiler, G. J. 2000. Registration of ten interspecific germplasms derived from wild perennial sunflower. Crop Sci. (Madison) 40:587-588.
  21. Sujatha, M. & M. Lakshminarayana. 2007. Resistance to Spodoptera litura (Fabr.) in Helianthus species and backcross derived inbred lines from crosses involving diploid species. Euphytica 155:205-213. Note: Netherlands journal of plant breeding
  22. Timme, R. E. et al. 2007. High-resolution phylogeny for Helianthus (Asteraceae) using the 18S-26S ribosomal DNA external transcribed spacer. Amer. J. Bot. 94:1837-1852.
  23. Vear, F. 2011. Chapter 9. Helianthus. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, oilseeds 161-170.
  24. Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
  25. Whelan, E. D. P. & W. Dedio. 1980. Registration of sunflower germplasm composite crosses CMG-1, CMG-2, and CMG-3. Crop Sci. (Madison) 20:832.
  26. Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
  27. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishgiant sunflower  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
EnglishIndian-potato  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishtall sunflower  1FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Frenchhélianthe géant  2FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
GermanRiesen-Sonnenblume  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1455.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaNew Brunswick Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaNova Scotia Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaOntario Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaQuébecs.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesIllinois Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesIowa FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesKansas FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesMinnesota Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesWisconsin Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesConnecticut Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesIndiana Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMaine Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMassachusetts Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesMichigan Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesNew Jersey Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesNew York Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesOhio Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesPennsylvania Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesVermont FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesWest Virginia Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesDelaware Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesDistrict of Columbia Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesGeorgian.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesKentucky Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesMaryland Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesMississippis.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesNorth Carolina Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesSouth Carolina Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesTennessee Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesVirginia Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
4NaturalizedEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaNewfoundland and Labrador FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Native
Northern America
  • EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Québec (s.), Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick]
  • NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia]
  • NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin]
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia (n.), Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi (s.), North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
Naturalized
Europe
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: France
Northern America
  • EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Newfoundland and Labrador]

Reference(s)
  1. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  2. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  3. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):139-144.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=27927. Accessed 7 May 2026.