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

ballhead ragwort, mountain marsh butterweed

Habit Herbs annual, (1)2–5(6+) dm; caudices taprooted. Herbs perennial, (3)4–8 dm; caudices ± woody, branching, with stout rhizomes.
Stems

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

1, tomentose or unevenly glabrate.

Leaves

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

margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins secondarily denticulate;

proximal petiolate;

distal sessile.

mostly basal;

basal present at flowering;

cauline reduced distally;

distal much reduced and bract-like, oblanceolate to elliptic, bases tapered;

margins weakly dentate or denticulate with callous denticles;

surfaces sparsely tomentose to nearly glabrous, petiolate.

Inflorescences

loose corymb-like arrays;

bracts few, inconspicuous.

corymb-like arrays;

bracts conspicuous.

Involucres

urceolate.

campanulate.

Ray florets

0.

~13;

rays 6–10 mm.

Disc florets

(30)55–65.

25–35+.

Phyllaries

21, 4–6 mm;

tips usually black.

(13)21, 3–7 mm;

tips black or dark brown.

Calyculi

2–4(6+) bractlets, 2–3 mm.

1–5 bractlets, 2–3 mm.

Fruits

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

1.5–2.5 mm, usually hairy, sometimes glabrous.

Heads

8–20.

(3)5–24, usually > 10.

2n

=40.

=40.

Senecio vulgaris

Senecio sphaerocephalus

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

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

Open meadows, near conifer forests. Flowering Jun–Jul. 1100–1700 m. BW. ID, NV; northeast to MT, east to WY, southeast to CO. Native.

Although Senecio sphaerocephalus has been collected in Oregon, it is relatively rare within the state and more abundant in the more easterly parts of its range.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 342
Debra Trock
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 340
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. sylvaticus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus
S. aronicoides, S. crassulus, S. ertterae, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. serra, S. sylvaticus, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris
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