Packera anonyma |
Packera cynthioides |
|
---|---|---|
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 |
AL; AR; DC; FL; GA; KY; LA; MD; MS; NC; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
|
NM
|
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 | ||
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) |
Web links |