Sneezeweed
Helenium microcephalum DC.
Family :Asteraceae
Longevity :Annual
Origin :Native
Season :Warm
Smallhead Sneezeweed is found growing in over grazed areas of clay soil of the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains. The lower half of the plant is usually a single stem and the upper half tends to branch into other stems with the entire plant reaching a height of one to two feet. The narrow leaves run down the stem giving it a winged appearance. The flower head consists of small, yellow ray flowers of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long and pale reddish brown disk flowers. Smallhead Sneezeweed blooms in the summer and is extremely poisonous at that time to livestock, such as sheep, goats, cattle, horses and mules. Symptoms of the poison, also known as “spewing sickness”, appear within a few hours of consumption. Some symptoms are weakness and staggering, diarrhea, vomiting green material, green salivation or discharge from nose, bloating, gastroenteritis and death.
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