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Tehachapi ragwort

elegant groundsel, rayless mountain butterweed, rayless mountain groundsel, rayless mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials, 15–30+ cm; taprooted (caudices erect) or rhizomatous (rhizomes branched). Perennials, 10–100 cm; taprooted (caudices erect to suberect, relatively stout, branched).
Stems

usually 1, rarely 2–3, clustered, irregularly arachnoid-tomentose to lanate-tomentose or glabrescent.

1 or 2–3, loosely clustered, glabrous or glabrate.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline, relatively turgid) petiolate;

blades broadly ovate or lyrate (± pinnately lobed, lateral lobes 1–3 pairs, smaller than terminals), 10–30+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering to cuneate, ultimate margins subentire or crenate to coarsely dentate (abaxial faces tomentose).

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.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (sessile; bractlike, entire).

gradually reduced (petiolate, resembling basals, sublyrate or dissected; distal sessile, subentire to pinnatifid).

Peduncles

bracteate, irregularly tomentose.

ebracteate (or bractlets inconspicuous), glabrous or glabrate.

Ray florets

8–13;

corolla laminae 8–10 mm.

0 or 8–10;

corolla laminae (deep yellow) 3–5 mm.

Disc florets

60–75+;

corolla tubes 2.5–4 mm, limbs 3.5–5 mm.

60–70+;

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

Phyllaries

(8–)13 or 21, green, 7–10+ mm, densely tomentose proximally, glabrescent distally (tips hair-tufted).

13 or 21, green (tips sometimes reddish), 7–9 mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

inconspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets green, tips sometimes reddish).

Heads

3–6 in cymiform arrays.

8–20+ in subumbelliform arrays.

Cypselae

2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–7 mm.

1–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 3–4 mm.

2n

= 46.

= 46, 126, 176, 184.

Packera ionophylla

Packera indecora

Phenology Flowering early Jun–late Aug. Flowering mid Jun–late Aug.
Habitat Dry, rocky slopes, crevices, granitic outcrops, coniferous woodlands Damp meadows, along streams, wet woodlands
Elevation 1400–3000 m (4600–9800 ft) 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MI; MN; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; LB; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Packera ionophylla is known only from the San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Tehachapi mountains and a population on Alamo Mountain in eastern Ventura County.

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 590. FNA vol. 20, p. 590.
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. hesperia, P. hyperborealis, P. indecora, 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. 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 ionophyllus, Senecio ionophyllus var. intrepidus Senecio indecorus, Senecio burkei, Senecio idahoensis, Senecio pauciflorus subsp. fallax
Name authority (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) (Greene) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Bot. Not. 128: 520. (1976)
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