Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations:

(≡ homotypic synonym, = heterotypic synonym, - autonym, I invalid designation)

• (=) Helianthus speciosus Hook.
• Basionym: Tagetes rotundifolia Mill.
• (=) Tithonia speciosa (Hook.) Griseb.

Common names:

• Mexican-sunflower  (Source: Dict Gard) - English
• red-sunflower  (Source: Weeds SAfr 2001) - English
• roosionneblom  (Source: Weeds SAfr 2001) - Afrikaans
• mexikanische Sonnenblume  (Source: Zander Ency) - German
• mexikanische Tithonie  (Source: Zander Ency) - German
• margarida-mexicana  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• inkakrage  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Bee plants: honey production
• Environmental: ornamental
• Weed:

Distributional Range:

Native

Northern America

• NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Coahuila de Zaragoza, Durango, Zacatecas]
• SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

• CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama


Cultivated (also cult.)

Naturalized

Africa

• WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Rwanda
• WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Senegal
• SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Zambia, Zimbabwe
• SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland

Australasia

• AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales, Queensland]

Northern America

• SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida, Louisiana]

Southern America

• CARIBBEAN: Cuba, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, [Saba] St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, [Trinidad] United States [Puerto Rico]
• NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
• BRAZIL: Brazil
• SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina

References:

1. Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. 2012. Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 98
2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource) URL: www.skud.info
3. Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
4. Blake, S. F. 1921. Revision of the genus Tithonia. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20:426-427.
5. Breedlove, D. E., ed. 1981-. Flora of Chiapas.
6. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
7. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
8. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
9. Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
10. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14
11. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
12. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
13. Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
14. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
15. Hokche, O. et al. 2008. Nuevo catálogo de la flora vascular de Venezola.
16. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
17. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
18. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
19. Jardin botanique national de Belgique. 1967-. Flore du Congo, du Rwanda et du Burundi (Flore d'Afrique centrale).
20. La Duke, J. C. 1982. Revision of Tithonia. Rhodora 84:480-485.
21. Lasser, T., ed. 1964-. Flora de Venezuela.
22. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
23. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third.
24. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
25. McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
26. Rzedowski, J. & G. Rzedowski, eds. 1991-. Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes.
27. Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
28. Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
29. Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
30. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: mentions
31. Villaseñor, J. L. 1989. Manual para la identificacion de las Compositae de la Peninsula de Yucatan y Tabasco. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Techn. Rep. no. 4
32. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: https://agb.amvmt.lt/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=36735. Accessed 22 spalio 2026.