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White Mountain ragwort

Oak Creek ragwort

Habit Perennials, 20–40+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect). Perennials, 60–100+ cm; taprooted (caudices subligneous, ascending to erect).
Stems

1 or 2–3, clustered, densely lanate-tomentose or canescent, tufts of arachnoid tomentum in leaf axils, or glabrescent.

1 or 2–4, clustered (proximally deeply purple-tinged, distally lightly tinged), glabrous or tomentose at bases and in leaf axils.

Basal leaves

(thick, leathery) petiolate;

blades narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 25–100+ × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, margins entire, subentire, dentate, or wavy (adaxial faces early glabrescent).

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades obovate or lyrate (pinnately lobed, lateral lobes 2–6+ pairs, their bases petioluliform, terminal lobes larger than laterals, midribs narrowly winged), 60–160+ × 20–40+ mm, bases wide, ultimate margins sharply dentate, crenate-dentate, or irregularly incised.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (sessile; lanceolate to oblanceolate, entire or wavy).

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; shallowly lobed, midribs ± winged, distals bractlike, dentate to incised).

Peduncles

0 (or relatively reduced, then densely tomentose).

ebracteate, glabrous.

Ray florets

(5–)8;

corolla laminae 8–10+ mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.

Disc florets

35–45+;

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

60–70+;

corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

(8–)13, green (tips red), 3–6 mm, densely tomentose proximally, glabrate distally.

(13–)21, green (tips yellow), 5–7 mm, glabrous (tips sometimes hairy).

Calyculi

inconspicuous (bractlets red-tipped).

inconspicuous.

Heads

10–30+ in open or congested, cymiform arrays.

15–40+ in open, cymiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous or ± scabrellous;

pappi 5.5–6.5 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 92.

Packera cynthioides

Packera quercetorum

Phenology Flowering late Jul–mid Sep. Flowering mid Apr–early Jun.
Habitat Loose rocky soils, steep slopes, subalpine and pine-juniper forests Rocky soils, open areas, scrub-oak and pinyon-pine forests, chaparral
Elevation 2200–2900 m (7200–9500 ft) 800–2200 m (2600–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera cynthioides blooms later than other Packera species at the same latitudes. It is noted by collectors as usually growing on north- or west-facing slopes in limestone-derived soils. Its cauline leaves are well developed and held at a shallow angle to the stem, giving the plant a more “leafy” aspect than other members of the genus.

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

Packera quercetorum is found only infrequently and in relatively small populations in central and southern Arizona and west-central New Mexico. The plants are robust and have probable affinities to P. multilobata. The plants have a bluish tinge when freshly collected and are distinctive in the field.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 583. FNA vol. 20, p. 598.
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. crocata, P. cymbalaria, 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. 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. sanguisorboides, P. schweinitziana, P. spellenbergii, P. streptanthifolia, P. subnuda, P. tampicana, P. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
Synonyms Senecio cynthioides, Senecio fendleri var. subintegra, Senecio wrightii Senecio quercetorum, Senecio macropus
Name authority (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981) (Greene) C. Jeffrey: Kew Bull. 47: 101. (1992)
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