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Small's ragwort

White Mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials, 30–70+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices erect to ascending). Perennials, 20–40+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect).
Stems

1 or 2–5, loosely clustered, bases densely tomentose, leaf axils usually tomentose.

1 or 2–3, clustered, densely lanate-tomentose or canescent, tufts of arachnoid tomentum in leaf axils, or glabrescent.

Basal leaves

petiolate;

blades narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 30–90+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering, margins serrate to crenate-serrate (apices rounded to acute, faces glabrous).

(thick, leathery) petiolate;

blades narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 25–100+ × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, margins entire, subentire, dentate, or wavy (adaxial faces early glabrescent).

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; elliptic to lanceolate, often pinnatifid).

gradually reduced (sessile; lanceolate to oblanceolate, entire or wavy).

Peduncles

bracteate, distally tomentose.

0 (or relatively reduced, then densely tomentose).

Ray florets

8 or 13;

corolla laminae 5–7+ mm.

(5–)8;

corolla laminae 8–10+ mm.

Disc florets

45–60+;

corolla tubes 1.5–2 mm, limbs 1.5–2 mm.

35–45+;

corolla tubes 2.5–3.5 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

13 or 21, light green, 3–5 mm, glabrous.

(8–)13, green (tips red), 3–6 mm, densely tomentose proximally, glabrate distally.

Calyculi

inconspicuous.

inconspicuous (bractlets red-tipped).

Heads

20–70(–100+) in corymbiform arrays.

10–30+ in open or congested, cymiform arrays.

Cypselae

0.75–1 mm, hirsute on ribs;

pappi 2.5–3 mm.

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 46.

Packera anonyma

Packera cynthioides

Phenology Flowering early Jun–mid Jul (north), early Apr–late May (south). Flowering late Jul–mid Sep.
Habitat Open fields, meadows, roadsides, disturbed sites, in drying or sandy soils Loose rocky soils, steep slopes, subalpine and pine-juniper forests
Elevation 50–1800 m (200–5900 ft) 2200–2900 m (7200–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; FL; GA; KY; LA; MD; MS; NC; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera anonyma is common, almost weedy throughout most of its range. It grows on serpentine in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In western parts of its range, putative hybrids between P. anonyma and P. plattensis and P. tomentosa have been reported.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Packera cynthioides blooms later than other Packera species at the same latitudes. It is noted by collectors as usually growing on north- or west-facing slopes in limestone-derived soils. Its cauline leaves are well developed and held at a shallow angle to the stem, giving the plant a more “leafy” aspect than other members of the genus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 578. FNA vol. 20, p. 583.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera
Sibling taxa
P. antennariifolia, P. aurea, P. bernardina, P. bolanderi, P. breweri, P. cana, P. cardamine, P. castoreus, P. clevelandii, P. contermina, P. crocata, P. cymbalaria, P. cynthioides, P. debilis, P. dimorphophylla, P. eurycephala, P. fendleri, P. flettii, P. franciscana, P. ganderi, P. glabella, P. greenei, P. hartiana, P. hesperia, P. hyperborealis, P. indecora, P. ionophylla, P. layneae, P. macounii, P. malmstenii, P. millefolium, P. millelobata, P. multilobata, P. musiniensis, P. neomexicana, P. obovata, P. ogotorukensis, P. pauciflora, P. paupercula, P. plattensis, P. porteri, P. pseudaurea, P. quercetorum, P. sanguisorboides, P. schweinitziana, P. spellenbergii, P. streptanthifolia, P. subnuda, P. tampicana, P. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
P. anonyma, P. antennariifolia, P. aurea, P. bernardina, P. bolanderi, P. breweri, P. cana, P. cardamine, P. castoreus, P. clevelandii, P. contermina, P. crocata, P. cymbalaria, P. debilis, P. dimorphophylla, P. eurycephala, P. fendleri, P. flettii, P. franciscana, P. ganderi, P. glabella, P. greenei, P. hartiana, P. hesperia, P. hyperborealis, P. indecora, P. ionophylla, P. layneae, P. macounii, P. malmstenii, P. millefolium, P. millelobata, P. multilobata, P. musiniensis, P. neomexicana, P. obovata, P. ogotorukensis, P. pauciflora, P. paupercula, P. plattensis, P. porteri, P. pseudaurea, P. quercetorum, P. sanguisorboides, P. schweinitziana, P. spellenbergii, P. streptanthifolia, P. subnuda, P. tampicana, P. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
Synonyms Senecio anonymus, Senecio aureus var. angustifolius, Senecio earlei, Senecio smallii Senecio cynthioides, Senecio fendleri var. subintegra, Senecio wrightii
Name authority (Alph. Wood) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 45. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981)
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