Inula helenium
Common name
Elecampane
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flowering
November, December, January
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
W. and C. Asia
Etymology
inula: Believed to be a corruption of helenium, Inula helenium (Elecampane) being the Inula campana of medieval Latin (Johnson and Smith, 1986).
helenium: Named after the genus Helenium which it resembles. Helenium is possibly named after Helen of Troy because of of a myth describing these flowers springing up from her tears.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.