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Bolander's groundsel, Bolander's ragwort

weak groundsel

Habit Perennials, 20–50+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices creeping). Perennials, 20–50+ cm; ± fibrous-rooted (caudices weakly branched, relatively short).
Stems

1 or 2–3, loosely clustered, glabrous.

1 or 2–4, clustered, bases sparsely floccose-tomentose or glabrous, 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.

(and proximal cauline, turgid) petiolate;

blades elliptic to ovate or subreniform, 20–40+ × 15–30+ mm, bases cuneate to subcordate, margins subentire or crenate to crenate-dentate.

Cauline leaves

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

gradually reduced (sessile; pinnately lobed, sinuses deep, rounded, ultimate margins entire or subentire).

Peduncles

ebracteate or inconspicuously bracteate, glabrous.

ebracteate (or bractlets short), glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Ray florets

8 or 13;

corolla laminae 10–15+ mm.

0.

Disc florets

30–45+;

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

45–65+;

corolla tubes 3–4 mm, limbs 2–3 mm.

Phyllaries

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

13 or 21, green (tips cyanic), 6–8+ mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous.

Heads

8–15+ in corymbiform or subumbelliform arrays.

6–20 in open or compact, corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–7 mm.

1–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 4.5–5.5 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 46.

Packera bolanderi

Packera debilis

Phenology Flowering late Jun–mid Aug.
Habitat Meadows, usually in alkaline soils
Elevation 1700–3000 m (5600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; WY
[BONAP county 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 debilis is the most abundant of the rayless species of Packera in the southern Rocky Mountains. It is infrequently collected, nearly always from wet, alkaline meadows. The lobing and subsucculent nature of the leaves may be related to the substrate; that has not been tested experimentally.

(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. 584.
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. cymbalaria, P. cynthioides, 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 debilis, Senecio fedifolius, Senecio nephrophyllus
Name authority (A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 45. (1981) (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981)
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