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Brewer's ragwort

serpentine groundsel, Siskiyou butterweed, western ragwort

Habit Perennials or biennials, 40–100+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices erect, stout). Perennials, 7–15+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively slender).
Stems

1, glabrous or leaf axils tomentose.

1, glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades spatulate to obovate (pinnately lobed, terminal lobes ovate to oblong, lateral lobes 2–6+ pairs, smaller, midribs narrowly winged), 100–300+ × 20–50(–80+) mm, bases contracted to tapering, ultimate margins crenate or dentate to lacerate (faces glabrous).

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades ovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate, 10–30 × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins entire, subentire, or dentate.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; obovate, irregularly incised to subpinnate, terminal lobes narrow).

abruptly reduced (sessile, clasping; bractlike, entire).

Peduncles

usually ebracteate (rarely with 1–2 bractlets), glabrous.

bracteate (bractlets red-tinged), densely lanate-tomentose.

Ray florets

8–10+;

corolla laminae 10–15+ mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.

Disc florets

45–60+;

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

35–50+;

corolla tubes 2.5–3.5 mm, limbs 3–4 mm.

Phyllaries

13 or 21, green, 7–9+ mm, glabrous.

(13–)21, green (tips red or dark red), densely tomentose proximally.

Calyculi

inconspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets narrow, red-tinged).

Heads

15–50+ in corymbiform arrays.

1–4+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 6–7 mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 46.

Packera breweri

Packera hesperia

Phenology Flowering mid Apr–late May. Flowering mid Apr–mid Jun.
Habitat Dry, rocky soils, partially shaded or protected areas, grasslands, oak savannas, roadsides, disturbed areas Serpentine derived soils, open woodland scrub
Elevation 200–1500 m (700–4900 ft) 500–2500 m (1600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera breweri is known only from Coast Ranges from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles County and along the eastern edges of the San Joaquin Valley. Populations are relatively small and sporadic; the plants appear not to hybridize with other species of Packera.

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

Of conservation concern.

Packera hesperia is known only from the Siskiyou Mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 580. FNA vol. 20, p. 589.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera
Sibling taxa
P. anonyma, P. antennariifolia, P. aurea, P. bernardina, P. bolanderi, 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. debilis, P. dimorphophylla, P. eurycephala, P. fendleri, P. flettii, P. franciscana, P. ganderi, P. glabella, P. greenei, P. hartiana, 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 breweri Senecio hesperius, Senecio auleticus
Name authority (Burtt Davy) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981)
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