The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Bolander's groundsel, Bolander's ragwort

dwarf arctic groundsel, dwarf arctic ragwort, northern butterweed

Habit Perennials, 20–50+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices creeping). Perennials, 6–25+ cm; rhizomatous (mat forming, rhizomes horizontal to suberect, branched).
Stems

1 or 2–3, loosely clustered, glabrous.

usually 1 (sometimes more, clustered), usually glabrous, sometimes bases and leaf axils tomentose.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades ± orbiculate to oblong, or lyrate (lateral lobes 1–3 pairs, sinuses usually rounded, midribs usually winged), 50–120+ × 30–70+ mm, bases cordate to subcordate, margins shallowly to deeply incised.

petiolate;

blades ovate to obovate, lyrate, or reniform, 10–30+ × 10–25+ mm, bases cuneate (sometimes tapering to winged petioles) to subcordate or contracted, margins crenate, dentate, or weakly lobed.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile and clasping; lanceolate, incised).

abruptly reduced (sessile, not clasping; lanceolate, entire or pinnately lobed to pinnatisect).

Peduncles

ebracteate or inconspicuously bracteate, glabrous.

0 or relatively reduced (then densely tomentose).

Ray florets

8 or 13;

corolla laminae 10–15+ mm.

0 or 11–13;

corolla laminae (yellow, purple streaks in veins) 10–14+ mm.

Disc florets

30–45+;

corolla tubes 3–4 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.

60–75+;

corolla tubes 2–2.5 mm, limbs 4–5 mm.

Phyllaries

(8), 13, or 21, dark green, 5–8 mm, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally.

21, deep red or green (tips red), 6–8 mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets cyanic).

Heads

8–15+ in corymbiform or subumbelliform arrays.

1–2.

Cypselae

2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–7 mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 46, 92, 138.

Packera bolanderi

Packera cymbalaria

Phenology Flowering mid Jun–early Aug.
Habitat Exposed rocky slopes, tundra turf
Elevation 0–1900 m (0–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; NF; NT; QC; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The two varieties of Packera bolanderi have been treated as species. The morphologic characteristics used to distinguish the varieties vary widely within some populations. Presence or absence of multicellular hairs has been used to separate the varieties; that trait is also variable. The morphologic distinction is weak; habitat and elevation records lend support for recognizing two varieties.

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

Packera cymbalaria occurs in three, disjunct regions: western Alaska eastward into western N.W.T. and south into northwestern British Columbia; Newfoundland and the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec; and Siberia. Considerable morphologic overlap exists between western and eastern populations in North America; western populations have slightly different flavonoid chemistries and chromosome numbers. Western populations are either diploid or tetraploid; eastern populations are hexaploid. The correct name for this species may prove to be Packera heterophylla (Fischer) E. Wiebe, based on Cineraria heterophylla Fischer.

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

Key
1. Basal leaves (relatively thick and turgid); phyllaries 13 or 21, 6–8+ mm, hairy proximally (hairs tan or brownish, multicelled)
var. bolanderi
1. Basal leaves (relatively thin); phyllaries 8, 13, (or 21), 5–6 mm, glabrous
var. harfordii
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 579. FNA vol. 20, p. 583.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera
Sibling taxa
P. anonyma, P. antennariifolia, P. aurea, P. bernardina, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. bolanderi var. bolanderi, P. bolanderi var. harfordii
Synonyms Senecio bolanderi Senecio cymbalaria, Cineraria lyrata, P. resedifolia, S. fernaldii, S. resedifolius
Name authority (A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 45. (1981) (Pursh) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Bot. Not. 128: 497. (1976)
Web links