A suffrutescent Helianthus from Los Angeles County, CaliforniaThe photographs44 in figures 1-5, 7, 9, 12 and 14-15 were taken using a Canon PowerShot digital 45 camera (model SX510

Baznekian, A. (2014). 1

A suffrutescent Helianthus from Los Angeles 1

County, California 2

3 A suffrutescent individual, belonging to the genus Helianthus, and bearing 4 resemblance to H. annuus, has been observed in Los Angeles County, 5 California. This individual was observed to woody proximally; not a character 6 of the herbaceous annual sunflower, H. annuus. Photographs of this woody 7 individual and a general herbaceous representative H. annuus are presented in 8 this article. Dr. David J. Keil, an Asteraceae (sunflower family) taxonomist, 9 suggests that a new shrubby species of Helianthus may be present in California, 10 and thus, this suffrutescent individual may be a representative of that new 11 woody species. It may also be a woody variety of H. annuus. 12

13

Aleksi Baznekian*

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15 26 July 2014 16

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Introduction 19

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As I was studying the flora of the Verdugo Mountains, I came across a sunflower (Asteraceae), 21 whose morphological characteristics matched those of the genus Helianthus, and the species, 22 Helianthus annuus L., yet the individual was suffrutescent. Its proximal stems were hard and 23

woody, and I was unable to pierce them using a sharp probe and minimum force. The single 24

main stem contained a gash, which revealed the presence of lignified xylem tissue, or wood. 25 Moreover, the epidermis of these stems appeared cracked and degenerated; a sign of secondary 26 growth in woody plants. The individual was observed near a disturbed roadside, at the base of 27

the Verdugo Mountains (34.1873° N, 118.2732° W; Elev. 330 m), on May 28, 2014. Samples 28 were collected and deposited into my private herbarium (still being processed). I did not have a 29

wood borer to take samples of the stems. I revisited the site on July 23, 2014 to check on the 30 plant, and unfortunately, it is gone. The area is periodically cleared of invasive plants by the 31

city’s landscaping crew. This individual was 160 cm tall, with > 30 heads, averaging about 8 cm 32 in diameter when fully open. I have taken detailed photographs of the remaining taxonomically 33 important characters (Figs. 1-13). 34

In addition, I observed individuals of H. annuus in the near vicinity that were entirely 35 herbaceous (Figs. 14-15). The proximal stems of these individuals were fleshy and green, and I 36

was easily able to pierce and traverse them with my sharp probe. Some of these individuals were 37 dry and had reached the end of their season, yet I was still able to pierce and traverse their dried 38

proximal stems using my sharp probe and minimum force (they just contained dried epidermal, 39 cortex, vascular and pith tissues). 40

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Photographs 42

43 The photographs in figures 1-5, 7, 9, 12 and 14-15 were taken using a Canon PowerShot digital 44 camera (model SX510 HS). The micrographs in Figs. 6, 8, 10, 11 and 13 and their scales were 45

PeerJ PrePrints | http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.450v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | received: 4 Aug 2014, published: 4 Aug

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produced using a Reichert stereomicroscope (model 569) and a 3.1 MP microscope eyepiece 46

camera with a built in measuring program, respectively. The first 13 figures are of the 47 suffrutescent form of what appears to be H. annuus, and the last two figures are representatives 48 of one of the many herbaceous forms of H. annuus found in the near vicinity of the suffrutescent 49

form. 50 51

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Figure 1: photo by Aleksi Baznekian. Suffrutescent form of H. annuus. 53

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Figure 14: photo by Aleksi Baznekian. Herbaceous form of H. annuus. 79


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Figure 15: photo by Aleksi Baznekian. Herbaceous form of H. annuus. 81

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Discussion 83

84 It is my understanding that H. annuus does not form wood, and it is an annual herb, as its 85

specific epithet, prescribed by Carl Linné, suggests. According to Dr. David J. Keil (2012), a 86 new species of Helianthus, with sub-shrub characteristics, and appearing like H. annuus, may be 87

present in central California. It is possible that the woody individual I observed belongs to this 88 species, and its range extends farther south. If this is the case, then the available Latin name, 89 Helianthus suffrutescens, will properly represent this species. This individual may also be a new 90

woody variety of H. annuus. 91 92

Acknowledgements 93

94 I fully financed this project, providing all the necessary funds and materials. I would like to 95 dedicate this project to my mother, Aydek Babakhani. 96

97

References 98

99 David, K. J. (2012). Helianthus. In B. G. Baldwin, D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. 100

Rosatii & D. H. Wilken (Eds.), The Jepson manual: Vascular plants of California, 2nd 101

edition (pp. 343-344). Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. 102

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Email: [email protected] 105


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A suffrutescent Helianthus from Los Angeles County, CaliforniaThe photographs44 in figures 1-5, 7, 9, 12 and 14-15 were taken using a Canon PowerShot digital 45 camera (model SX510