Flora of North America species comparison

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Packera crocata

Packera castoreus

saffron ragwort

beaver mountain ragwort
Habit Perennials, 20–60+ cm; perennating bases horizontal to ascending (relatively long and stout). Perennials, 3–9+ cm; usually fibrous-rooted, sometimes rhizomatous (bases erect or ascending, branched).
Stems

usually 1, rarely 2–3, clustered, glabrous.

1 or 2–3, (white) woolly-tomentose.
Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate (petioles narrow);

blades narrowly lanceolate or ovate to oblong-ovate, 20–60+ × 10–40+ mm, bases abruptly contracted to tapering, margins subentire to crenate-dentate.

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades obovate to oblanceolate or spatulate, 10–20+ × 5–18 mm, bases tapering, margins entire or crenate (abaxial faces densely tomentose, adaxial glabrescent).
Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (sessile, weakly clasping; lanceolate to oblong or sublyrate, often pinnately lobed).

gradually reduced (becoming sessile and bractlike).
Peduncles

ebracteate or bracteate (bractlets inconspicuous), glabrous.

ebracteate.
Ray florets

8 or 13;

corolla laminae (deep yellow to orange-red) 6–8+ mm.

0.
Disc florets

60–80+;

corolla tubes 4.5–5.5 mm, limbs 2.5–3.5 mm.

not seen.
Phyllaries

13 or 21, light green (or tips cyanic), 4–8 mm, glabrous.

purple-tinged, 7–10 mm, tomentose (ciliate distally, apices with dense tufts of hairs).
Calyculi

0 or inconspicuous.

inconspicuous.
Heads

7–15+ in open, corymbiform arrays.

1–4+, in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 3–5 mm.

not seen (reported to be glabrous).
2n

= 46.

Packera crocata

Packera castoreus
Phenology Flowering early Jul–mid Aug. Flowering late Jul–late Sep.
Habitat Wet meadows, along trails, rocky outcrops Ridges, spruce-fir communities, igneous soils
Elevation 1800–3500 m (5900–11500 ft) 3300–3900 m (10800–12800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera crocata is characterized by deep yellow to reddish orange corollas. Some collectors have noted that there may be evidence for hybridization between P. crocata and P. dimorphophylla; the relationship between the two species needs further study.

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

Of conservation concern.

Packera castoreus is known only from relatively few collections from the Tushar Mountains in Beaver and Piute counties. Welsh speculated that it may have some affinities with P. cana and P. werneriifolia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 583. FNA vol. 20, p. 582.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera
Sibling taxa
P. anonyma, P. antennariifolia, P. aurea, P. bernardina, P. bolanderi, P. breweri, P. cana, P. cardamine, P. castoreus, P. clevelandii, P. contermina, 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. 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
Synonyms Senecio crocatus, Senecio pyrrhochrous, Senecio tracyi Senecio castoreus
Name authority (Rydberg) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981) (S. L. Welsh) Kartesz: in J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham, Synth. N. Amer. Fl., nomencl. innov. 20. (1999)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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