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flame ragwort

White Mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials, 20–30+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect, not branched), sometimes stoloniferous. Perennials, 20–40+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect).
Stems

1, irregularly lanate or tomentose.

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

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades orbiculate, ovate, oblanceolate, or rhombic, 20–50+ × 20–40+ mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins coarsely dentate to crenate-dentate.

(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).

Cauline leaves

gradually to abruptly reduced (petioles broad-winged, clasping, blades obovate, bases tapering, margins irregularly dentate; distal sessile, linear to lanceolate, entire).

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

Peduncles

bracteate, lanate or tomentose distally.

0 (or relatively reduced, then densely tomentose).

Ray florets

8–10(–13);

corolla laminae (red-orange) 8–15+ mm.

(5–)8;

corolla laminae 8–10+ mm.

Disc florets

35–65+;

corolla tubes 4–5 mm, limbs 5–6 mm.

35–45+;

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

Phyllaries

21, green (tips sometimes deep red), 8–10+ mm, densely tomentose proximally, sparsely tomentose distally.

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

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous (bractlets red-tipped).

Heads

1–3+.

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

Cypselae

1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 8–11 mm.

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 40, 46, 92.

= 46.

Packera greenei

Packera cynthioides

Phenology Flowering mid May–early Jul. Flowering late Jul–mid Sep.
Habitat Dry, rocky, usually serpentine soils, open scrub-pine associations Loose rocky soils, steep slopes, subalpine and pine-juniper forests
Elevation 100–1600 m (300–5200 ft) 2200–2900 m (7200–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Packera greenei is known from Coast Ranges of northern California. It has relatively large heads and bright orange-red ray corollas; its leaves are usually cyanic abaxially.

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 588. FNA vol. 20, p. 583.
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. cynthioides, P. debilis, P. dimorphophylla, P. eurycephala, P. fendleri, P. flettii, P. franciscana, P. ganderi, P. glabella, 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. 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 greenei Senecio cynthioides, Senecio fendleri var. subintegra, Senecio wrightii
Name authority (A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981)
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