Taxon:  Helianthus mollis Lam.



Summary
Genus:
Helianthus
Family:
Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Subfamily:
Asteroideae
Tribe:
Heliantheae
Nomen number:
27932
Place of publication:
Encycl. 3:85.  1789
Verified:
11/03/2010 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
74 (32  active, 30  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)
Clone of the soft sunflower

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. Atlagic, J. et al. 1995. Meiosis and pollen grain viability in Helianthus mollis, Helianthus salicifolius, Helianthus maximiliani and their F1 hybrids with cultivated sunflower. Euphytica 81:259-263. Note: Netherlands journal of plant breeding
  3. Atlagic, J. 2004. Roles of interspecific hybridization and cytogenetic studies in sunflower breeding. Helia 27:1-24.
  4. Brown, R. G. & M. L. Brown. 1984. Herbaceous plants of Maryland
  5. Chester, E. W. et al. 1993-1997. Atlas of Tennessee vascular plants.
  6. Christov, M. 2008. Helianthus species in breeding research on sunflower. Proceedings of the International Sunflower Conference 17:709-714.
  7. Eilers, L. J. & D. M. Roosa. 1994. The vascular plants of Iowa
  8. Faure, N. et al. 2002. Partial hybridization in wide crosses between cultivated sunflower and the perennial Helianthus species H. mollis and H. orgyalis. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 89:31-39.
  9. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  10. Gandhi, K. N. & R. D. Thomas. 1989. Asteraceae of Louisiana
  11. Georgieva-Todorova, J. 1984. Interspecific hybridization in the genus Helianthus L. Z. Pflanzenzücht. 93:265-279. Note: replaced by Plant Breeding (New York)
  12. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1962. Species crosses in Helianthus: I. Diploid species. Brittonia 14:137-147.
  13. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
  14. McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
  15. Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
  16. Radford, A. E. et al., eds. 1980-. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States.
  17. Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
  18. Rogers, C. E. et al. 1982. Sunflower species of the United States 38.
  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. Smith, E. B. 1994. Keys to the flora of Arkansas.
  21. Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
  22. Tikhomirov, V. T. & P. V. Chiryaev. 2005. Sources of resistance to diseases in original material of sunflower. Helia 28:101-106.
  23. 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.
  24. Townsend, J., ed. South Carolina plant atlas (on-line resource).
  25. Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
  26. Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania.
  27. Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishashy sunflower  1Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
Englishsoft sunflower  1Rogers, C. E. et al. 1982. Sunflower species of the United States 38.
Swedishdunsolros  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
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):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesIowas.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesKansase.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesMissouri Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesNebraska FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesOklahomae.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
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):101-103.
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):101-103.
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):101-103.
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):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouth-Central U.S.A.United StatesTexas Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesAlabaman.Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesArkansas Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
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):101-103.
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):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesLouisiana Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesMississippi Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
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):101-103.
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States Atlantic statesHeiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
4NaturalizedNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaOntarios.e.FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Native
Northern America
  • NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Indiana, Michigan, Ohio]
  • NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa (s.), Kansas (e.), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma (e.), Wisconsin]
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama (n.), Arkansas, Georgia (n.), Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee]
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
Naturalized
Northern America
  • EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Ontario (s.e.)]
  • REGION: United States (Atlantic states)

Reference(s)
  1. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  2. Heiser, C. B., Jr. et al. 1969. The North American sunflowers (Helianthus). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 22(3):101-103.
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=27932. Accessed 14 April 2026.