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New England groundsel, Schweinitz's groundsel, Schweinitz's ragwort

Brewer's ragwort

Habit Perennials, 40–70+ cm, fibrous-rooted and/or rhizomatous (rhizomes weakly branched). Perennials or biennials, 40–100+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices erect, stout).
Stems

1, glabrous or leaf axils sparsely tomentose.

1, glabrous or leaf axils tomentose.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades narrowly ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 30–70+ × 10–20+ mm, bases abruptly contracted to subcordate, margins usually serrate-dentate, sometimes subcrenate (apices acute).

(and proximal cauline) petiolate;

blades spatulate to obovate (pinnately lobed, terminal lobes ovate to oblong, lateral lobes 2–6+ pairs, smaller, midribs narrowly winged), 100–300+ × 20–50(–80+) mm, bases contracted to tapering, ultimate margins crenate or dentate to lacerate (faces glabrous).

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (± sessile; lacerate to subcrenate).

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; obovate, irregularly incised to subpinnate, terminal lobes narrow).

Peduncles

bracteate, glabrous.

usually ebracteate (rarely with 1–2 bractlets), glabrous.

Ray florets

8–13;

corolla laminae 4–7 mm.

8–10+;

corolla laminae 10–15+ mm.

Disc florets

50–70+;

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

45–60+;

corolla tubes 3–3.5 mm, limbs 4–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

13 or 21, light green (tips sometimes black), 5–8 mm, glabrous.

13 or 21, green, 7–9+ mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous.

Heads

8–20+ in loose, corymbiform arrays.

15–50+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–5.5 mm.

2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 6–7 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 46.

Packera schweinitziana

Packera breweri

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering mid Apr–late May.
Habitat Sunny, wet areas, meadows, swamps, ditches, roadsides Dry, rocky soils, partially shaded or protected areas, grasslands, oak savannas, roadsides, disturbed areas
Elevation 100–1800 m (300–5900 ft) 200–1500 m (700–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; NC; NH; NY; TN; VT; NB; NS; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera schweinitziana is rarely mistaken for any other taxon. It grows on slightly acidic soils and may reproduce vegetatively by branched rhizomes. The group of populations on Roan Mountain on the Tennessee-North Carolina border is disjunct from the main distribution.

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

Packera breweri is known only from Coast Ranges from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles County and along the eastern edges of the San Joaquin Valley. Populations are relatively small and sporadic; the plants appear not to hybridize with other species of Packera.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 598. FNA vol. 20, p. 580.
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. neomexicana, P. obovata, P. ogotorukensis, P. pauciflora, P. paupercula, P. plattensis, P. porteri, P. pseudaurea, P. quercetorum, P. sanguisorboides, 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. 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. 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 schweinitzianus, Senecio aureus var. lanceolatus, Senecio robbinsii Senecio breweri
Name authority (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 48. (1981) (Burtt Davy) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981)
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