L. H. Rieseberg (1991) provided evidence that Helianthus anomalus is a hybrid species derived from Helianthus annuus and Helianthus petiolaris, and subsequent work has confirmed and extended that hypothesis[]. The Plants of the World website, and the IUCN Red List[], both treat Helianthus anomalus as a true species[].

Common Name:

General Information

Helianthus anomalus is an erect, annual plant growing 25 - 60cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and cosmetic. The edible seed is a good source of oil and has been suggested as a potential commercial crop in arid regions. It is closely related to both the annual sunflower (Helinathus annuus) and the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and has potential for use in breeding programmes[].
Helianthus anomalus was only found to occur in two localities after a survey in 2000, a dramatic decrease from the 25 localities found in 1983, with one subpopulation containing 200 individuals and the other containing 250 (i.e. fewer than 1,000 mature individuals in total). As this species is thought to occur in only two localities, and such dramatic declines in subpopulations having been recorded, it is possible that these two localities are under threat. However, more information is required to confirm this. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2016)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southwest N. America - Arizona, Utah

Habitat

Sand dunes, open, disturbed, field soils and under sand dune agriculture in the southern part of its range; at elevations from 1,000 - 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. The seed is a good source of oil, containing 28 - 32% oil with an oleic/linoleic fatty acid ratio of 17%:81%[]

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

This species is a secondary genetic relative of the cultivated Sunflower Helianthus annuus L., and also belongs to Taxon Group four of the Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberosus L.. It has already been utilized for the breeding of fertility restoration genes into the cultivated sunflower[, ].

Helianthus anomalus is heavily associated with native American communities where is has high cultural value due to its traditional use by the people of the Hopi Indian Reserve. For example, the dried petals are ground up and used both as a dry yellow powder for decorating the faces of maidens during ceremonies and as a charm put on the boomerangs and sticks of hunters to "cause game to walk slow"[, ].

Propagation

Seed -