Helianthus agrestis (Southeastern Sunflower)

Native to Florida and southern Georgia, this annual herb grows in marshes, wet pinelands and other moist open ground. Upright stems bear mostly opposite, narrow lance-shaped leaves with rough surfaces and toothed edges. Several flower heads develop near the tops of the shoots. Yellow ray florets surround numerous small disk flowers with reddish-purple lobes and yellow style branches. Flowering occurs in late summer and fall. Bees and butterflies visit the blooms, while birds and small mammals consume the seeds. Photographed in Florida.