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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower and Plant Biology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #210216
Title: Collection of Helianthus exilis, an endemic serpentine sunflower of California

Author
item Seiler, Gerald
item Gulya Jr, Thomas

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
Publication Date: 7/11/2007
Citation: Seiler, G.J., Gulya, T.J. 2007. Collection of Helianthus exilis, an endemic serpentine sunflower of California. Plant Biology & Botany 2007 Joint Congress, July 7-11, 2007, Chicago, IL. P51002. p. 276-277.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The genus Helianthus consists of 51 species (14 annual and 37 perennial), all restricted to North America. Serpentine sunflower, Helianthus exilis A. Gray, is endemic to the serpentine soils of the Coastal Range and Sierra Nevada mountains of California and is a potential source of useful genes for improving cultivated sunflower. The objective of this study was to collect populations of serpentine sunflower from the serpentine soils of California for the USDA-ARS sunflower germplasm collection. A twelve-day exploration trip through California from September 16-28, 2002 resulted in the collection of achenes from 26 populations of H. exilis. The 2600-mile trip explored serpentine habitats in the Coastal Range and Klamath Mountains from Napa Valley to the Oregon border and in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains south approximately 300 miles to Chinese Camp. The number of populations collected during this trip almost tripled the number of populations that were previously present in the USDA-ARS sunflower germplasm collection housed at the USDA-ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), Ames, IA. Since none of the nine previous collections of H. exilis was available for distribution due to limited achene quantities, the achenes collected during this trip will be the first available for almost 20 years for researchers interested in studying this species and will provide additional populations for improving cultivated sunflower.