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

serpentine groundsel, Siskiyou butterweed, western ragwort

Habit Perennials, 40–70+ cm, fibrous-rooted and/or rhizomatous (rhizomes weakly branched). Perennials, 7–15+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices relatively slender).
Stems

1, glabrous or leaf axils sparsely tomentose.

1, glabrous or 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) petiolate;

blades ovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate, 10–30 × 5–20 mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins entire, subentire, or dentate.

Cauline leaves

gradually reduced (± sessile; lacerate to subcrenate).

abruptly reduced (sessile, clasping; bractlike, entire).

Peduncles

bracteate, glabrous.

bracteate (bractlets red-tinged), densely lanate-tomentose.

Ray florets

8–13;

corolla laminae 4–7 mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ 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 3–4 mm.

Phyllaries

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

(13–)21, green (tips red or dark red), densely tomentose proximally.

Calyculi

conspicuous.

conspicuous (bractlets narrow, red-tinged).

Heads

8–20+ in loose, corymbiform arrays.

1–4+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–5.5 mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

pappi 5–6 mm.

2n

= 44.

= 46.

Packera schweinitziana

Packera hesperia

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering mid Apr–mid Jun.
Habitat Sunny, wet areas, meadows, swamps, ditches, roadsides Serpentine derived soils, open woodland scrub
Elevation 100–1800 m (300–5900 ft) 500–2500 m (1600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ME; NC; NH; NY; TN; VT; NB; NS; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Packera hesperia is known only from the Siskiyou Mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 598. FNA vol. 20, p. 589.
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. glabella, P. greenei, P. hartiana, 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 hesperius, Senecio auleticus
Name authority (Nuttall) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 48. (1981) (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 47. (1981)
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