Packera hesperia |
Packera paupercula |
|
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serpentine groundsel, Siskiyou butterweed, western ragwort |
balsam groundsel, Canadian butterweed |
|
Habit | Perennials, 7–15+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively slender). | Perennials, 20–45+ cm; subrhizomatous (bases weakly branched, ascending to erect). |
Stems | 1, glabrous or sparsely tomentose. |
1 or 2–4, loosely clustered, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally. |
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 lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 30–60+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins subentire to dentate or serrate. |
Cauline leaves | abruptly reduced (sessile, clasping; bractlike, entire). |
gradually reduced (proximals petiolate, sublyrate; mids sessile, not clasping, lanceolate, dissected, incised, or lacerate; distals sessile, bractlike). |
Peduncles | bracteate (bractlets red-tinged), densely lanate-tomentose. |
usually bracteate, sometimes ebracteate, glabrous. |
Ray florets | (8–)13; corolla laminae 6–10+ mm. |
0, 8, or 13; corolla laminae (pale yellow) 5–10+ mm. |
Disc florets | 35–50+; corolla tubes 2.5–3.5 mm, limbs 3–4 mm. |
50–65+; corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 2–3 mm. |
Phyllaries | (13–)21, green (tips red or dark red), densely tomentose proximally. |
13 or 21, green, 5–8+ mm, glabrous. |
Calyculi | conspicuous (bractlets narrow, red-tinged). |
inconspicuous. |
Heads | 1–4+ in corymbiform arrays. |
2–10+ in loose or compact, corymbiform arrays. |
Cypselae | 1.5–2 mm, glabrous; pappi 5–6 mm. |
1–2 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes hispidulous on ribs; pappi 3.5–4.5 mm. |
2n | = 46. |
= 44, 46, 92. |
Packera hesperia |
Packera paupercula |
|
Phenology | Flowering mid Apr–mid Jun. | Flowering May–late Jun (south), late Jun–early Aug (north). |
Habitat | Serpentine derived soils, open woodland scrub | Wet meadows, open woodlands, along streams, rocky outcrops |
Elevation | 500–2500 m (1600–8200 ft) | 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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AK; AL; CO; DC; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; TN; UT; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT
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Discussion | Of conservation concern. Packera hesperia is known only from the Siskiyou Mountains. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Ecologically and morphologically, Packera paupercula is the most variable species of the genus in North America. Some “phases” have been treated as separate species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and races. Variation within P. paupercula hints at some interesting evolutionary relationships; characteristics used to separate taxa overlap. Much of the morphologic variation in this species may be due to hybridization and introgression. I do not recognize any of the infraspecific taxa that have been proposed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 589. | FNA vol. 20, p. 595. |
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera | Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Senecio hesperius, Senecio auleticus | Senecio pauperculus, Senecio balsamitae, Senecio balsamitae var. firmifolius, Senecio balsamitae var. thomsoniensis, Senecio crawfordii, Senecio flavovirens, Senecio gaspensis, Senecio multnomensis, Senecio robbinsii var. subtomentosus, Senecio tweedyi |
Name authority | (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) | (Michaux) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Bot. Not. 128: 520. (1976) |
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