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Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia)

Dlium Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia)

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) is a plant species in Asteraceae, shrubs with 2-4 meters high, abundant yellow flowers, fast growing, tolerant to high canopy density with deep roots and widely used as a barrier to erosion, insulin and green fertilizer.

T. diversifolia grows upright, erect stems are tubular and green woody. Single leaf arranged alternately, length up to 32 cm, width up to 25 cm, sharp edges and base, pinnate bones, rough surface and green. Young leaves have a tip, while adult leaves have 3-5 ends.





Compound flowers grow at the end of branches with long stems. Petals are tubular, smooth hair and green. Crown will be separated, ribbon-shaped, yellow and smooth. Yellow round stamens and curved pistils are yellow.

The fruits are round, light green and turn brown when ripe. The seeds are round, have four corners, 5 mm long, hard and brown in color. Seeds spread by the wind. White taproot.

Mexican sunflower grows wild on the edge of farmland, cliff slopes and highway edges. Fertile breeds at altitudes 550-1950 m, annual temperatures 15-31C, annual rainfall 100-2000 mm and lots of sun.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Helianthinae
Genus: Tithonia Desf. ex Juss. in Gen. Pl. Paris.: 189 (1789)
Species: Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A.Gray in Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 19: 5 (1883)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Mirasolia diversifolia Hemsl. in Biol. Centr.-Amer., Bot. 2: 168 (1881)
Urbanisol tagetiflorus var. diversifolius (Hemsl.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 371 (1891)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Helianthus quinquelobus Sessé & Moc. in Fl. Mexic.: 193 (1894)
Tithonia diversifolia subsp. glabriuscula S.F.Blake in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 435 (1921)

PUBLICATIONS

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Beentje, H.J. (2021). Flore du Gabon 56: 1-148. Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris; Margraf Publishers, Weikersheim; Meise Botanic Garden.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Ghafoor, A. & al. (2021). Flora of Pakistan 224: 1-310. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.

Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].

Kiew, R. & al. (eds.) (2021). Malayan Forest Records 49: 1-403.

Koyama, H., Bunwong, S., Pornpongrungrueng, P. & Hind, D.J.N. (2016). Flora of Thailand 13(2): 143-428. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Liogier, A.H. (1996). Flora de la Española 8: 1-588. Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

Pruski, J.F. (ed.) (2018). Flora Mesoamericana 5(2): 1-608. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.

Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2024). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 5: 1-432. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Roskov Y. & al. (eds.) (2018). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Sauerbier, H., Cabrera Calixto, F. & Muer, T. (2023). Flora Vascular de Canarias: 1-1514. Turquesa

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Mexikaanse Sonneblom
Chinese (simplified): 肿柄菊
Chinese (traditional): 王爺葵 - 腫柄菊 假向日葵 - 五爪金英
Divehi: ބޮޑު މިރިހި
English: Mexican sunflower, Tree marigold, Yellow Mexican sunflower, Japanese sunflower, Nitobe chrysanthemum
Finnish: Aurinkotitonia
French: Tournesol américain
German: Mexikanische Sonnenblume
Hong Kong: 腫柄菊 假向日葵
Indonesia: Kembang bulan, Bunga bulan, Kipait, Paitan
Japanese: ニトベギク - キダチメキシコヒマワリ
Java: Kembang bulan, Paitan
Lithuanian: Įvairialapė titonija
Macao: 腫柄菊 假向日葵
Portuguese: Girassol-mexicano, Margaridão
Russian: Титония разнолистная
Slovak: Titónia rôznolistá
Southern Africa: Yellow Mexican Sunflower
Spanish: Acahual, Botón de oro, Girasol chiquito, Girasol mejicano, Girasol pequeño, Mirasol, Mirasol mejicano, Mirasol pequeño, Tora
Thai: บัวตอง
Zulu: Umbabane

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