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flame ragwort

Great Plains ragwort

Habit Perennials, 20–30+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect, not branched), sometimes stoloniferous. Annuals, 20–50+ cm; taprooted (caudices ascending to erect).
Stems

1, irregularly lanate or tomentose.

1 or 2–6+, clustered (bases cyanic), glabrous or leaf axils sparsely tomentose.

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.

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades oblanceolate to spatulate (usually pinnately lobed, lateral lobes 1–6+ pairs, their bases petioluliform, terminal lobes usually larger than laterals, often reniform to ± orbiculate, midribs sometimes ± winged and/or toothed between the primary lobes), 40–120+ × 10–30+ mm, bases ± cuneate, ultimate margins subentire or irregularly crenate, dentate, or lobed.

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 (± petiolate or sessile, clasping; often auriculate, pinnately dissected to pinnately lobed).

Peduncles

bracteate, lanate or tomentose distally.

bracteate, glabrous.

Ray florets

8–10(–13);

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

8 or 13;

corolla laminae 3–7 mm.

Disc florets

35–65+;

corolla tubes 4–5 mm, limbs 5–6 mm.

30–45(–100+);

corolla tubes 1.5–2.5 mm, limbs (1.5–)2.5–3.5 mm.

Phyllaries

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

13 or 21, green (tips sometimes reddish), 3–7 mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous or 0.

Heads

1–3+.

4–25+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 8–11 mm.

1–1.5 mm, hirtellous on ribs;

pappi 3–5 mm.

2n

= 40, 46, 92.

= 46.

Packera greenei

Packera tampicana

Phenology Flowering mid May–early Jul. Flowering Feb–Jun.
Habitat Dry, rocky, usually serpentine soils, open scrub-pine associations Disturbed, wet, sandy or clay sites, roadsides, stream banks, waste areas
Elevation 100–1600 m (300–5200 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; KS; LA; OK; TX; Mexico
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[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 tampicana is fairly widespread along the Gulf Coastal Plain and north and in Mexico. Morphologically, P. tampicana most closely resembles P. glabella; the former grows in very wet, sandy or clay soils and open sunlight, the latter grows in drier habitats, usually in partial shade.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 588. FNA vol. 20, p. 600.
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. 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. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
Synonyms Senecio greenei Senecio tampicanus, Senecio greggii, Senecio imparipinnatus
Name authority (A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) (de Candolle) C. Jeffrey: Kew Bull. 47: 101. (1992)
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