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

White Mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials, 40–70+ cm, fibrous-rooted and/or rhizomatous (rhizomes weakly branched). Perennials, 20–40+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect).
Stems

1, glabrous or leaf axils sparsely tomentose.

1 or 2–3, clustered, densely lanate-tomentose or canescent, tufts of arachnoid tomentum in leaf axils, or glabrescent.

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).

(thick, leathery) petiolate;

blades narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 25–100+ × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, margins entire, subentire, dentate, or wavy (adaxial faces early glabrescent).

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (± sessile; lacerate to subcrenate).

gradually reduced (sessile; lanceolate to oblanceolate, entire or wavy).

Peduncles

bracteate, glabrous.

0 (or relatively reduced, then densely tomentose).

Ray florets

8–13;

corolla laminae 4–7 mm.

(5–)8;

corolla laminae 8–10+ mm.

Disc florets

50–70+;

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

35–45+;

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

Phyllaries

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

(8–)13, green (tips red), 3–6 mm, densely tomentose proximally, glabrate distally.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous (bractlets red-tipped).

Heads

8–20+ in loose, corymbiform arrays.

10–30+ in open or congested, cymiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–5.5 mm.

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 46.

Packera schweinitziana

Packera cynthioides

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering late Jul–mid Sep.
Habitat Sunny, wet areas, meadows, swamps, ditches, roadsides Loose rocky soils, steep slopes, subalpine and pine-juniper forests
Elevation 100–1800 m (300–5900 ft) 2200–2900 m (7200–9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; NC; NH; NY; TN; VT; NB; NS; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[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 cynthioides blooms later than other Packera species at the same latitudes. It is noted by collectors as usually growing on north- or west-facing slopes in limestone-derived soils. Its cauline leaves are well developed and held at a shallow angle to the stem, giving the plant a more “leafy” aspect than other members of the genus.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 598. FNA vol. 20, p. 583.
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. breweri, P. cana, P. cardamine, P. castoreus, P. clevelandii, P. contermina, P. crocata, P. cymbalaria, 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 cynthioides, Senecio fendleri var. subintegra, Senecio wrightii
Name authority (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 48. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 46. (1981)
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