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cleft-leaf groundsel, Rocky Mountain butterweed, Rocky Mountain groundsel

Oak Creek ragwort

Habit Perennials, 10–50+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices weak to stout, horizontal to suberect). Perennials, 60–100+ cm; taprooted (caudices subligneous, ascending to erect).
Stems

1 or 2–5, clustered, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely floccose-tomentose proximally and in leaf axils.

1 or 2–4, clustered (proximally deeply purple-tinged, distally lightly tinged), glabrous or tomentose at bases and in leaf axils.

Basal leaves

(and proximal cauline, relatively thick and turgid) petiolate;

blades spatulate to oblanceolate, or ovate to orbiculate, 20–40+ × 10–30+ mm, bases tapering to abruptly contracted or subcordate, margins entire, crenate, dentate, or weakly lobulate (faces usually glabrous, sometimes hairy).

(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.

Cauline leaves

gradually to abruptly reduced (± petiolate or sessile; entire or subentire).

gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; shallowly lobed, midribs ± winged, distals bractlike, dentate to incised).

Peduncles

bracteate, glabrous or sparsely tomentose.

ebracteate, glabrous.

Ray florets

8 or 13;

corolla laminae 5–10 mm.

(8–)13;

corolla laminae 6–10+ mm.

Disc florets

35–60+;

corolla tubes 2–4 mm, limbs 2.5–4 mm.

60–70+;

corolla tubes 2–3 mm, limbs 3.5–4.5 mm.

Phyllaries

(8–)13 or 21, green (tips sometimes cyanic), 4–7+ mm, glabrous.

(13–)21, green (tips yellow), 5–7 mm, glabrous (tips sometimes hairy).

Calyculi

conspicuous.

inconspicuous.

Heads

2–20+ in loose, corymbiform or subumbelliform arrays.

15–40+ in open, cymiform arrays.

Cypselae

1–2.5 mm, glabrous;

pappi 3–6 mm.

1.5–2 mm, glabrous or ± scabrellous;

pappi 5.5–6.5 mm.

2n

= 46, 92.

= 92.

Packera streptanthifolia

Packera quercetorum

Phenology Flowering late May–late Aug. Flowering mid Apr–early Jun.
Habitat Forests, open meadows, valleys, dry to damp and loamy soils Rocky soils, open areas, scrub-oak and pinyon-pine forests, chaparral
Elevation 1000–3400 m (3300–11200 ft) 800–2200 m (2600–7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Packera streptanthifolia is widespread and variable throughout the Western Cordillera. It includes weakly defined phases that have been treated as distinct species or as varieties. Characteristics used to delimit those taxa often overlap and are difficult to score; some “phases” grade into each other. Northern populations are sometimes segregated as a distinct taxon (e.g., Senecio streptanthifolia var. borealis; J. F. Bain 1988).

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 599. FNA vol. 20, p. 598.
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. schweinitziana, P. spellenbergii, 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. 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. sanguisorboides, P. schweinitziana, P. spellenbergii, P. streptanthifolia, P. subnuda, P. tampicana, P. texensis, P. tomentosa, P. tridenticulata, P. werneriifolia
Synonyms Senecio streptanthifolius, P. streptanthifolia var. borealis, Senecio adamsii, Senecio aureus var. borealis, Senecio cognatus, Senecio cymbalarioides, Senecio cymbalarioides var. borealis, Senecio cymbalarioides var. streptanthifolius, Senecio fulgens, Senecio jonesii, Senecio leonardii, Senecio longipetiolatus, Senecio oödes, Senecio platylobus, Senecio rydbergii, Senecio streptanthifolius var. borealis, Senecio streptanthifolius var. kluanei, Senecio streptanthifolius var. laetiflorus, Senecio streptanthifolius var. oödes, Senecio streptanthifolius var. rubricaulis, Senecio streptanthifolius var. wallowensis, Senecio subcuneatus, Senecio suksdorfii, Senecio wardii Senecio quercetorum, Senecio macropus
Name authority (Greene) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve: Phytologia 49: 48. (1981) (Greene) C. Jeffrey: Kew Bull. 47: 101. (1992)
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