Packera quercetorum
Packera paupercula
Oak Creek ragwort
balsam groundsel, Canadian butterweed
1 or 2–4, clustered (proximally deeply purple-tinged, distally lightly tinged), glabrous or tomentose at bases and in leaf axils.
1 or 2–4, loosely clustered, glabrous or sparsely tomentose proximally.
(and proximal cauline) petiolate;
blades obovate or lyrate (pinnately lobed, lateral lobes 2–6+ pairs, their bases petioluliform, terminal lobes larger than laterals, midribs narrowly winged), 60–160+ × 20–40+ mm, bases wide, ultimate margins sharply dentate, crenate-dentate, or irregularly incised.
petiolate;
blades lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 30–60+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins subentire to dentate or serrate.
gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; shallowly lobed, midribs ± winged, distals bractlike, dentate to incised).
gradually reduced (proximals petiolate, sublyrate; mids sessile, not clasping, lanceolate, dissected, incised, or lacerate; distals sessile, bractlike).
ebracteate, glabrous.
usually bracteate, sometimes ebracteate, glabrous.
(8–)13;
corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.
0, 8, or 13;
corolla laminae (pale yellow) 5–10+ mm.
60–70+;
corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.
50–65+;
corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 2–3 mm.
(13–)21, green (tips yellow), 5–7 mm, glabrous (tips sometimes hairy).
13 or 21, green, 5–8+ mm, glabrous.
inconspicuous.
inconspicuous.
15–40+ in open, cymiform arrays.
2–10+ in loose or compact, corymbiform arrays.
1.5–2 mm, glabrous or ± scabrellous;
pappi 5.5–6.5 mm.
1–2 mm, usually glabrous, sometimes hispidulous on ribs;
pappi 3.5–4.5 mm.
= 92.
= 44, 46, 92.
Packera quercetorum
Packera paupercula
Packera quercetorum is found only infrequently and in relatively small populations in central and southern Arizona and west-central New Mexico. The plants are robust and have probable affinities to P. multilobata. The plants have a bluish tinge when freshly collected and are distinctive in the field.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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