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serpentine groundsel, Siskiyou butterweed, western ragwort

golden groundsel, golden ragwort

Habit Perennials, 7–15+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively slender). Perennials, 30–60+ cm; rhizomatous and/or fibrous-rooted (rhizomes or caudices erect to horizontal).
Stems

1, glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

1 or 2–3+, clustered, glabrous or leaf axils tomentose.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades ovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate, 10–30 × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins entire, subentire, or dentate.

petiolate;

blades cordate to reniform, 20–60 × 20–60 mm, bases abruptly contracted or ± cordate, margins crenate to crenate-serrate (apices rounded, faces glabrous).

Cauline leaves

abruptly reduced (sessile, clasping; bractlike, entire).

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile, not clasping; blades oblong to lyrate, lateral lobes 2–4 pairs).

Peduncles

bracteate (bractlets red-tinged), densely lanate-tomentose.

bracteate, glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

Ray florets

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.

(8–)10–13;

corolla laminae 8–10+ mm.

Disc florets

35–50+;

corolla tubes 2.5–3.5 mm, limbs 3–4 mm.

55–70+;

corolla tubes 3–3.5 mm, limbs 2–2.5 mm.

Phyllaries

(13–)21, green (tips red or dark red), densely tomentose proximally.

13–21, green (tips purple or black), 6–8 mm, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally.

Calyculi

conspicuous (bractlets narrow, red-tinged).

inconspicuous.

Heads

1–4+ in corymbiform arrays.

6–20+ in corymbiform to subumbelliform arrays.

Cypselae

1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 4.5–5.5 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 44.

Packera hesperia

Packera aurea

Phenology Flowering mid Apr–mid Jun. Flowering late Feb–early May (south), late May–early Aug (north).
Habitat Serpentine derived soils, open woodland scrub Damp and swampy places in woodlands, meadows, along gravel banks and streambeds, acidic or sandy/gravelly soils
Elevation 500–2500 m (1600–8200 ft) 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Packera hesperia is known only from the Siskiyou Mountains.

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

Packera aurea is abundant and widespread throughout eastern United States and Canada. It reproduces asexually from branched rhizomes or from adventitious shoots. Putative hybrids between P. aurea and P. paupercula, P. pseudaurea, P. schweinitziana, and P. tomentosa have been reported.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 589. FNA vol. 20, p. 579.
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. greenei, P. hartiana, 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. 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. tampicana, P. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
Synonyms Senecio hesperius, Senecio auleticus Senecio aureus, Senecio aureus var. aquilonius, Senecio aureus var. ashei, Senecio aureus var. aurantiacus, Senecio aureus var. gracilis, Senecio aureus var. intercursus, Senecio gracilis
Name authority (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) (Linnaeus) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Bot. Not. 128: 520. (1976)
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