Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

This alien annual, common in the Southwest, grows from three to forty inches tall from a strong taproot.  Basal leaves are absent; hairs abound on stem, leaves, and base of flower; petals are notched on their tips; and seeds are distinctively encircled with white wings.  The plant has a pleasant smell.

In 1794 Antonio Jose Cavanilles (1745-1804) named this genus and this species.  In 1876 George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker renamed the plant Verbesina encelioides.  Jose Ximenes was, according to Weber, a "Castilian Pharmacist and botanical illustrator".  "Encelioides" means "similar to the genus Encelia".

Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

The upper side of the leaves is dark green with fine, scattered hairs.  The underside is canescent (coated so extensively with hairs that it has a gray/white cast to it).  

Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

Hairs abound on the phyllaries and stem of the flower.

Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

Horsecollar-winged Sunflower seeds.

Foothills. Fields, openings. Summer, fall.
Near Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, October 11, 2007.

The Pinto Beans in this field were harvested about four weeks before this photograph was taken, so all of this Sunflower growth has taken place in a very short time.