OregonFlora: Senecio sylvaticus vs. Senecio vulgaris

	Senecio sylvaticus	Senecio vulgaris
	wood groundsel, woodland ragwort	common groundsel, old-man-in-the-spring
Habit	Herbs annual, (1.5)3–8+ dm; from fibrous taproots.	Herbs annual, (1)2–5(6+) dm; caudices taprooted.
Stems	1, densely pubescent with abundant curly hairs.	usually 1, rarely 2–3, glabrous or sparsely and unevenly tomentose.
Leaves	evenly distributed along stems, obovate to oblong in outline, bases tapering, usually 1–2-pinnately lobed or divided, ultimate margins dentate; proximal petiolate; distal clasping and bract-like.	evenly distributed along stems, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or ovate, bases tapering; margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins secondarily denticulate; proximal petiolate; distal sessile.
Inflorescences	corymb-like arrays; bracts 0 or inconspicuous.	loose corymb-like arrays; bracts few, inconspicuous.
Involucres	cylindric.	urceolate.
Ray florets	0, rarely 1–8; rays 1–2+ mm.	0.
Disc florets	40–50.	(30)55–65.
Phyllaries	13+, rarely 21, 4–7+ mm; tips green or minutely black.	21, 4–6 mm; tips usually black.
Calyculi	0 or 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets, 2–3 mm.	2–4(6+) bractlets, 2–3 mm.
Fruits	1.5–2.5 mm, sparsely pubescent on ribs.	2–2.5 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent, rarely glabrous.
Heads	12–24.	8–20.
2n	=40.	=40.

	Senecio sylvaticus	Senecio vulgaris
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Disturbed open wooded areas. Flowering May–Oct. 0–1200 m. Casc, CR, ECas, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, scattered in eastern North America; Asia, Europe. Exotic. Senecio sylvaticus is a native of Eurasia and favors cool, damp climates. In overall appearance, it resembles the more common S. vulgaris. However, the latter has distinctive black-tipped phyllaries, while S. sylvaticus has phyllaries that are generally green-tipped. This species is well established in the Pacific Northwest and in parts of eastern Canada. Elsewhere it is sporadic.	Disturbed areas. Flowering Feb–Oct. 0–1000 m. CR, ECas, Est, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; Asia, Europe. Exotic.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 341 Debra Trock	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 342 Debra Trock
Sibling taxa	S. aronicoides, S. crassulus, S. ertterae, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. serra, S. sphaerocephalus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris	S. aronicoides, S. crassulus, S. ertterae, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. serra, S. sphaerocephalus, S. sylvaticus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Senecio vulgaris

wood groundsel, woodland ragwort

common groundsel, old-man-in-the-spring

Habit

Herbs annual, (1.5)3–8+ dm; from fibrous taproots.

Herbs annual, (1)2–5(6+) dm; caudices taprooted.

Stems

1, densely pubescent with abundant curly hairs.

usually 1, rarely 2–3, glabrous or sparsely and unevenly tomentose.

Leaves

evenly distributed along stems, obovate to oblong in outline, bases tapering, usually 1–2-pinnately lobed or divided, ultimate margins dentate;

proximal petiolate;

distal clasping and bract-like.

evenly distributed along stems, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate or ovate, bases tapering;

margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins secondarily denticulate;

proximal petiolate;

distal sessile.

Inflorescences

corymb-like arrays;

bracts 0 or inconspicuous.

loose corymb-like arrays;

bracts few, inconspicuous.

Involucres

cylindric.

urceolate.

Ray florets

0, rarely 1–8;

rays 1–2+ mm.

Disc florets

40–50.

(30)55–65.

Phyllaries

13+, rarely 21, 4–7+ mm;

tips green or minutely black.

21, 4–6 mm;

tips usually black.

Calyculi

0 or 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets, 2–3 mm.

2–4(6+) bractlets, 2–3 mm.

Fruits

1.5–2.5 mm, sparsely pubescent on ribs.

2–2.5 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent, rarely glabrous.

Heads

12–24.

8–20.

=40.

Senecio vulgaris

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Disturbed open wooded areas. Flowering May–Oct. 0–1200 m. Casc, CR, ECas, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, scattered in eastern North America; Asia, Europe. Exotic.

Senecio sylvaticus is a native of Eurasia and favors cool, damp climates. In overall appearance, it resembles the more common S. vulgaris. However, the latter has distinctive black-tipped phyllaries, while S. sylvaticus has phyllaries that are generally green-tipped. This species is well established in the Pacific Northwest and in parts of eastern Canada. Elsewhere it is sporadic.

Disturbed areas. Flowering Feb–Oct. 0–1000 m. CR, ECas, Est, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; Asia, Europe. Exotic.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 341
Debra Trock

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 342
Debra Trock

Sibling taxa