| Author | (Michaux) Britton | |
| Distribution | Strictly along the coast, known from just a few sites in three counties -- Dare, Carteret, and Brunswick.
This is a Southern species, ranging from coastal NC south to MS, and occurring throughout FL. | |
| Abundance | Very rare, with only three of the seven known locations still considered extant by the NCNHP. This is, certainly, much rarer than the other coastal Crocanthemum -- C. georgianum. This is a State Threatened species. | |
| Habitat | This is a species of sandy soil around the margins of, or in openings within, maritime forests. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from April to May, and fruits from July to October. | |
| Identification | This is a short and highly branched, somewhat erect species. but reaching only about 6-8 inches tall. The stem leaves are alternate and moderately crowded, elliptical, about 1-inch long at most and 1/3-inch wide, quite pubescent above and below. The flowers are in dense flat-topped or rounded terminal cymes, each flower with 5 yellow petals and a spread of about 3/4-inch across. The very similar C. georgianum grows in similar maritime forest edges, with a similar growth form, but its flowers are solitary in upper leaf axils or in few-flowered elongated terminal clusters, not in a dense and flat-topped or rounded cluster. Check floral keys for a few additional characters. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
All NC species of Crocanthemum were formerly placed in the genus Helianthemum. | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Pinebarren Sunrose | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G4G5 | |
| State Status | T | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
