Packera multilobata
Packera pauciflora
lobeleaf groundsel
alpine groundsel, rayless alpine butterweed, rayless alpine groundsel
1 or 2–5, loosely clustered, usually glabrous or glabrescent, sometimes sparsely tomentose throughout, axils (basal leaves) tomentose.
1 or 2–3, clustered, glabrous or glabrate.
(and proximal cauline) petiolate;
blades obovate, oblanceolate, spatulate, or lyrate to sublyrate (± pinnately lobed, lateral lobes 3–6 pairs, smaller than terminal lobes), 40–80+ × 10–30+ mm, bases tapering, ultimate margins incised to dentate.
(relatively thick and turgid) petiolate;
blades elliptic-ovate, ovate, or subreniform, 20–40+ × 10–30+ mm, bases tapering to subcordate, margins dentate to crenate (proximal cauline leaves petiolate; margins dissected to pinnatifid).
gradually reduced (sessile).
gradually reduced (sessile, subentire).
conspicuously bracteate, glabrous or tomentose.
bracteate (bractlets cyanic or reddish), glabrous or sparsely tomentose distally.
8–13;
corolla laminae 7–10 mm.
0 or 8–13;
corolla laminae (deep orange-yellow) 5–7 mm.
40–50+;
corolla tubes 4–5 mm, limbs 3–4 mm.
60–80+;
corolla tubes 1.5–2.5 mm, limbs 2.5–3.5 mm.
13–21, green (tips often yellow), 4–9+ mm, glabrous or sparsely tomentose (at least proximally).
13 or 21, deep red or green (then tips deep red to purple), 7–10 mm, glabrous.
conspicuous.
conspicuous (bractlets deep red or at least apices deep red to purple).
10–30+ in open, corymbiform or subumbelliform arrays.
1–6+ in open to compact, subumbelliform arrays.
2–3 mm, glabrous or hirtellous on ribs;
pappi 5–6 mm.
1–1.5 mm, glabrous;
pappi 3–4.5 mm.
= 46, 92.
= 46, 130+.
Packera multilobata
Packera pauciflora
Packera multilobata is abundant and widespread west of the Continental Divide. Both morphology and habitat vary. In colder parts of its range, plants are shorter, caudices are better developed with clustered stems, and leaf lobes are larger. In desert-like habitats, basal leaves are narrower and more finely lobed, the tomentum is often persistent, and stems are usually single.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Heads of Packera pauciflora are usually discoid. Its range and habitat overlap those of P. indecora; the two can be difficult to distinguish. Disjunction from principal distribution to Sierra Nevada of California is 1200 km.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
SW CO Wildflowers- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
