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lambstongue ragwort, western groundsel

stout meadow groundsel, sweet marsh butterweed

Habit Herbs perennial or biennial, (1)2–7 dm; caudices button-like, with fleshy, fibrous, unbranched roots. Herbs perennial or biennial, 3–10(14) dm; caudices erect, button-like, with fleshy, fibrous, unbranched roots.
Stems

1, loosely arachnoid-tomentose, or villous, glabrate with age.

1, sometimes 2–4 and clustered, sometimes reddish tinged, glabrous or glabrate; young plants sometimes sparsely hairy.

Leaves

mostly basal;

cauline progressively reduced distally; ± petiolate;

basal and lower cauline elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, rounded-deltate, rarely suborbiculate, bases tapered or truncate to cordate;

margins entire or dentate;

distal becoming sessile and bract-like.

mostly basal;

cauline reduced distally, elliptic to broad lanceolate; firm, bases tapering;

margins dentate to denticulate;

surfaces glabrous;

petioles often distinctly winged;

distal sessile and bract-like.

Inflorescences

corymb-like arrays;

bracts 0 or inconspicuous.

loose or congested corymb-like arrays;

bracts 0 or inconspicuous.

Involucres

urn-shaped.

widely cylindric to campanulate.

Ray florets

5, rarely 0;

rays 6–15(20) mm, yellow or white to pale yellow.

0 or 3–8;

rays 5–10 mm.

Disc florets

35–45.

30–45.

Phyllaries

(8)13 or 21;

tips usually black, sometimes green.

8, 13 or 21, 4–9 mm;

tips black.

Calyculi

1–5+, inconspicuous, usually < 2 mm.

2–5 bractlets, inconspicuous; < 2 mm.

Fruits

2.5–3 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes hairy along ribs.

2–3 mm, glabrous.

Heads

6–15(30+).

(6)15–30+.

2n

=40, 80.

=40.

Senecio integerrimus

Senecio hydrophiloides

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Western North America. 5 varieties; 3 varieties treated in Flora.

Damp hillsides, meadows, seeps. Flowering Jun–Jul. 1000–1900 m. BR, BW, ECas, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; north to British Columbia, northeast to Alberta, east to WY, southeast to UT. Native.

Plants in the western part of this species’ range tend to have single stems, more congested inflorescences, and more ray florets and have been treated by some authors as a distinct species (S. foetidus). Those further east have more stems, a looser inflorescence, and fewer ray florets. T.M. Barkley (1978) noted that these two forms intergrade so completely that they should be treated as a single species.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 339
Debra Trock
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 339
Debra Trock
Sibling taxa
S. aronicoides, S. crassulus, S. ertterae, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. jacobaea, S. serra, S. sphaerocephalus, S. sylvaticus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris
S. aronicoides, S. crassulus, S. ertterae, S. fremontii, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. serra, S. sphaerocephalus, S. sylvaticus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris
Subordinate taxa
S. integerrimus var. exaltatus, S. integerrimus var. major, S. integerrimus var. ochroleucus
Synonyms Senecio foetidus, Senecio foetidus var. foetidus, Senecio foetidus var. hydrophiloides, Senecio oreganus
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