| Author | Rafinesque | |
| Distribution | Essentially throughout the state. Present gaps will be filled in with additional collecting, as it could theoretically be found in all counties.
N.S. to southern Ont. and MN, south to central FL and TX. | |
| Abundance | Generally infrequent, to locally fairly common, statewide. The many gaps are due to it not being a common species of sneezeweed (Helenium). Nonetheless, as it has been collected from nearly half of the state's counties, and all across the state, the editors suggest a State Rank of [S4S5] as opposed to S4. | |
| Habitat | Mesic to moist bottomlands and alluvial soils, openings in floodplain forests and bottomlands, wet meadows, trailsides in upland forests, logging roads, damp pastures, roadside ditches. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting May-August. | |
| Identification | Purplehead Sneezeweed has a prominant, dome-shaped disk that is red-purple or brown-purple. The yellow and broad rays are held an an angle well below horizontal. Plants usually grow 1.5-2.5 feet tall, with elliptical leaves that are strongly decurrent on the stem (leaf tissue continues as a "wing" down the stem). The very rare Shortleaf Sneezeweed (H. brevifolium) is similar but has only 1-5 flowering heads, whereas this species is rather "floriferous", with more than 5 heads. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | Purple Sneezeweed, Southern Sneezeweed | |
| State Rank | S4 [S4S5] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACW link |
| USACE-emp | FAC link |
