Packera paupercula |
Packera eurycephala |
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balsam groundsel, Canadian butterweed |
cut-leaf butterweed, wide-head groundsel |
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Habit | Perennials, 20–45+ cm; subrhizomatous (bases weakly branched, ascending to erect). | Perennials, 20–50+ cm, taprooted (caudices branched, ascending to erect, woody). | ||||
Stems | 1 or 2–4, loosely clustered, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally. |
1 or, usually, multiple, clustered, densely tomentose to glabrescent. |
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Basal leaves | petiolate; blades lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 30–60+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins subentire to dentate or serrate. |
(soon withering), petiolate; blades lyrate (lateral lobes 2–6+ pairs), ovate, obovate, or spatulate, 70–100+ × 20–30+ mm, bases tapering, ultimate margins irregularly and coarsely serrate-dentate. |
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Cauline leaves | gradually reduced (proximals petiolate, sublyrate; mids sessile, not clasping, lanceolate, dissected, incised, or lacerate; distals sessile, bractlike). |
gradually reduced (± petiolate, proximal and mid similar to basal, terminal lobes smaller than laterals; distal sessile, incised). |
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Peduncles | usually bracteate, sometimes ebracteate, glabrous. |
bracteate, sparsely to densely lanate-tomentose. |
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Ray florets | 0, 8, or 13; corolla laminae (pale yellow) 5–10+ mm. |
8 or 13; corolla laminae 10–15 mm. |
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Disc florets | 50–65+; corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 2–3 mm. |
35–50+; corolla tubes 3.5–4.5 mm, limbs 2.5–3.5 mm. |
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Phyllaries | 13 or 21, green, 5–8+ mm, glabrous. |
13 or 21, green (tips sometimes yellow), 8–10+ mm, densely tomentose proximally, glabrescent distally. |
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Calyculi | inconspicuous. |
inconspicuous (bractlets tomentose). |
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Heads | 2–10+ in loose or compact, corymbiform arrays. |
5–20+ in open or compact (rarely), cymiform arrays. |
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Cypselae | 1–2 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes hispidulous on ribs; pappi 3.5–4.5 mm. |
1–1.5 mm, glabrous; pappi 6–7 mm. |
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2n | = 44, 46, 92. |
= 46. |
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Packera paupercula |
Packera eurycephala |
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Phenology | Flowering May–late Jun (south), late Jun–early Aug (north). | |||||
Habitat | Wet meadows, open woodlands, along streams, rocky outcrops | |||||
Elevation | 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
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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CA; OR
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Discussion | 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.) |
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 20, p. 595. | FNA vol. 20, p. 586. | ||||
Parent taxa | Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera | Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Packera | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | 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 | Senecio eurycephalus | ||||
Name authority | (Michaux) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Bot. Not. 128: 520. (1976) | (Torrey & A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981) | ||||
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