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New Mexico groundsel

serpentine groundsel, Siskiyou butterweed, western ragwort

Habit Perennials, biennials, or annuals, 20–50+ cm; fibrous-rooted, taprooted, or ± rhizomatous (bases branched, horizontal or ascending to erect). Perennials, 7–15+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively slender).
Stems

1 or 2–5+, clustered, lanate- or arachno-tomentose or glabrescent.

1, glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

Basal leaves

(often abaxially cyanic) petiolate (petioles hairy to glabrate);

blades ovate to lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 20–60+ × 10–30+ mm, bases abruptly contracted to tapering, margins subentire or denticulate to subserrate (abaxial faces usually tomentose, adaxials frequently glabrate).

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

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

Cauline leaves

gradually or abruptly reduced (proximal petiolate, similar to basals; mids and distals sessile, lanceolate, entire).

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

Peduncles

conspicuously bracteate, usually hairy.

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

Ray florets

(5–)8 or 13;

corolla laminae 4–10 mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.

Disc florets

40–60+;

corolla tubes 1.5–2.5 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.

35–50+;

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

Phyllaries

13 or 21, green or yellowish, 4–7+ mm, tomentose to glabrescent.

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

Calyculi

conspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets narrow, red-tinged).

Heads

3–20+ in open or compact, corymbiform to subumbelliform arrays (subtended by smaller arrays arising from leaf axils).

1–4+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1.5–2.5 mm, usually hirtellous on ribs, sometimes glabrous;

pappi 5–6+ mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 44, 46, 92.

= 46.

Packera neomexicana

Packera hesperia

Phenology Flowering mid Apr–mid Jun.
Habitat Serpentine derived soils, open woodland scrub
Elevation 500–2500 m (1600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT; w Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Packera hesperia is known only from the Siskiyou Mountains.

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

Key
1. Plants loosely tomentose or glabrate; basal leaves: blades narrowly lanceolate, margins subentire or irregularly dentate
var. mutabilis
1. Plants usually densely lanate or woolly tomentose, seldom glabrate; basal leaves: blades ovate or broadly lanceolate, margins dentate to deeply dentate or dissected
→ 2
2. Plants taprooted; cauline leaves conspicuous
var. neomexicana
2. Plants rhizomatous or fibrous-rooted; cauline leaves inconspicuous (bractlike)
var. toumeyi
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 593. FNA vol. 20, p. 589.
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. ionophylla, P. layneae, P. macounii, P. malmstenii, P. millefolium, P. millelobata, P. multilobata, P. musiniensis, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. neomexicana var. mutabilis, P. neomexicana var. neomexicana, P. neomexicana var. toumeyi
Synonyms Senecio neomexicanus Senecio hesperius, Senecio auleticus
Name authority (A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981)
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