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

butterweed

Habit Perennials, 40–70+ cm, fibrous-rooted and/or rhizomatous (rhizomes weakly branched). Annuals or biennials, 20–70+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively short, weak).
Stems

1, glabrous or leaf axils sparsely tomentose.

1 (striated, frequently hollow, often pink- to purple-tinged), glabrous or leaf axils sparsely 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) obscurely petiolate;

blades obovate to oblanceolate, sometimes lyrate (lateral lobes to 5 pairs, terminal lobes larger than laterals), 50–150+ × 10–30+ mm, bases tapering, ultimate margins crenate to irregularly undulate.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (± sessile; lacerate to subcrenate).

gradually reduced (weakly clasping, similar to basal).

Peduncles

bracteate, glabrous.

bracteate, glabrous or bases tomentose.

Ray florets

8–13;

corolla laminae 4–7 mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 7–9 mm.

Disc florets

50–70+;

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

35–50+;

corolla tubes 2.5–3.5 mm, limbs 2–3 mm.

Phyllaries

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

(13–)21, green, 5–7 mm, glabrous.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets 2.5–4 mm).

Heads

8–20+ in loose, corymbiform arrays.

8–30+ in umbelliform or cymiform arrays (robust plants with multiple arrays).

Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–5.5 mm.

1–1.5 mm, sparsely hirtellous on ribs or glabrous;

pappi 3–4 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 46.

Packera schweinitziana

Packera glabella

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering (Feb–)mid Mar–late May.
Habitat Sunny, wet areas, meadows, swamps, ditches, roadsides Open wet areas, edges of woodlands, stream banks, roadsides, meadows, marshes, fallow fields
Elevation 100–1800 m (300–5900 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; NC; NH; NY; TN; VT; NB; NS; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; NC; NE; OH; OK; SC; TN; TX
[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 glabella is common and almost weedy in wet, partially shaded places. The hollow, striated stems of P. glabella are distinctive.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 598. FNA vol. 20, p. 588.
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. cynthioides, P. debilis, P. dimorphophylla, P. eurycephala, P. fendleri, P. flettii, P. franciscana, P. ganderi, 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 glabellus, Senecio carolinianus, Senecio densiflorus, Senecio lobatus, Senecio lyratus, Senecio mississipianus
Name authority (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 48. (1981) (Poiret) C. Jeffrey: Kew Bull. 47: 101. (1992)
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