Packera cymbalaria
Packera debilis
dwarf arctic groundsel, dwarf arctic ragwort, northern butterweed
weak groundsel
usually 1 (sometimes more, clustered), usually glabrous, sometimes bases and leaf axils tomentose.
1 or 2–4, clustered, bases sparsely floccose-tomentose or glabrous, leaf axils tomentose.
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.
(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.
abruptly reduced (sessile, not clasping; lanceolate, entire or pinnately lobed to pinnatisect).
gradually reduced (sessile; pinnately lobed, sinuses deep, rounded, ultimate margins entire or subentire).
0 or relatively reduced (then densely tomentose).
ebracteate (or bractlets short), glabrous or sparsely hairy.
0 or 11–13;
corolla laminae (yellow, purple streaks in veins) 10–14+ mm.
0.
60–75+;
corolla tubes 2–2.5 mm, limbs 4–5 mm.
45–65+;
corolla tubes 3–4 mm, limbs 2–3 mm.
21, deep red or green (tips red), 6–8 mm, glabrous.
13 or 21, green (tips cyanic), 6–8+ mm, glabrous.
conspicuous (bractlets cyanic).
inconspicuous.
1–2.
6–20 in open or compact, corymbiform arrays.
1.5–2 mm, glabrous;
pappi 5–6 mm.
1–2 mm, glabrous;
pappi 4.5–5.5 mm.
= 46, 92, 138.
= 46.
Packera cymbalaria
Packera debilis
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.)
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.)
BC
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
