Packera indecora
Packera crocata
elegant groundsel, rayless mountain butterweed, rayless mountain groundsel, rayless mountain ragwort
saffron ragwort
1 or 2–3, loosely clustered, glabrous or glabrate.
usually 1, rarely 2–3, clustered, glabrous.
petiolate;
blades elliptic-ovate, oblong, or subreniform, 20–50 × 10–40+ mm, bases subcordate, truncate, or cuneate, margins usually crenate-dentate to coarsely dentate-lacerate, seldom subentire.
(and proximal cauline) petiolate (petioles narrow);
blades narrowly lanceolate or ovate to oblong-ovate, 20–60+ × 10–40+ mm, bases abruptly contracted to tapering, margins subentire to crenate-dentate.
gradually reduced (petiolate, resembling basals, sublyrate or dissected; distal sessile, subentire to pinnatifid).
gradually reduced (sessile, weakly clasping; lanceolate to oblong or sublyrate, often pinnately lobed).
ebracteate (or bractlets inconspicuous), glabrous or glabrate.
ebracteate or bracteate (bractlets inconspicuous), glabrous.
0 or 8–10;
corolla laminae (deep yellow) 3–5 mm.
8 or 13;
corolla laminae (deep yellow to orange-red) 6–8+ mm.
60–70+;
corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 2.5–3.5 mm.
60–80+;
corolla tubes 4.5–5.5 mm, limbs 2.5–3.5 mm.
13 or 21, green (tips sometimes reddish), 7–9 mm, glabrous.
13 or 21, light green (or tips cyanic), 4–8 mm, glabrous.
conspicuous (bractlets green, tips sometimes reddish).
0 or inconspicuous.
8–20+ in subumbelliform arrays.
7–15+ in open, corymbiform arrays.
1–2 mm, glabrous;
pappi 3–4 mm.
1–1.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 3–5 mm.
= 46, 126, 176, 184.
= 46.
Packera indecora
Packera crocata
Packera indecora is found at relatively low elevations in eastern Canada and at middle to subalpine elevations in the western cordillera. It closely resembles P. pauciflora and it is often difficult to identify specimens in the herbarium. Biosystematic studies (J. F. Bain and J. Whitton 1994) have indicated that although they are morphologically similar, P. indecora and P. pauciflora have distinctly different physiologies and should be maintained as distinct taxa.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Packera crocata is characterized by deep yellow to reddish orange corollas. Some collectors have noted that there may be evidence for hybridization between P. crocata and P. dimorphophylla; the relationship between the two species needs further study.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
CA
WA
Flora NW
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
SW CO Wildflowers
