Senecio amplectens
Senecio fremontii
alpine groundsel, showy alpine ragwort
dwarf mountain butterweed, dwarf mountain ragwort, Fremont's groundsel, Fremont's ragwort
(often purplish-tinged) glabrous or sparsely and unevenly hairy, especially near leaf axils and among heads, usually glabrescent.
(often purple-tinged) glabrous.
single or loosely clustered.
clustered (arching upward to semiprostrate).
usually progressively reduced distally (basal sometimes smaller than proximal or mid leaves); petiolate (petioles shorter than to equaling blades, often clasping);
blades broadly lanceolate or lanceolate to oblanceolate, (5–)10–20+ × 2–4(–5+) cm, bases tapered, margins dentate to denticulate (distal leaves smaller, bractlike).
evenly distributed or smaller and fewer distally (somewhat stiffish-succulent when fresh, proximalmost and distalmost often smaller, bractlike); petiolate;
blades ovate or obovate to oblanceolate, 2–5(–7) × 1–3(–4) cm, bases ± truncate to tapered, margins laciniate to dentate or subentire.
usually ± 13, sometimes fewer;
corolla laminae (10–)15–25 mm.
± 8;
corolla laminae 8–12 mm.
± 13 or ± 21, tips often black or brownish (sometimes with scattered black hairs).
(± 8) ± 13 (± 21), 5–12 mm, tips green or brownish.
of 2–5+ linear to filiform bractlets (lengths to 1/2 phyllaries).
0 or of 1–5+ usually lance-deltate to linear, sometimes foliaceous, bractlets (lengths mostly 1/5–1/2 phyllaries).
nodding, 1–5(–10).
1–5+.
glabrous.
glabrous or strigose-hirtellous, at least on angles.
= 40, ca. 175–180.
= 40, 40+, 80.
Senecio amplectens
Senecio fremontii
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The varieties of Senecio amplectens are distinguished by morphologic tendencies and habitat preferences; there are many intermediates. Where the ranges of the two overlap, var. amplectens occurs at slightly lower elevations than var. holmii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).
The varieties are distinguished by morphologic tendencies plus their geographic ranges.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants (30–)40–60+; herbage sometimes sparsely hairy; leaves mostly proximal and mid cauline; phyllaries frequently black or purplish toward tips, sometimes with black hairs on abaxial faces | var. amplectens |
1. Plants (5–)10–20(–30) cm; herbage glabrous or glabrate at flowering; leaves mostly basal and proximal; phyllaries green or light purplish, glabrous | var. holmii |
1. Plants (10–)25–40 cm; stems straight or gently arching upward; leaves often to 7 × 3 cm, bases of larger ones weakly clasping; phyllaries (9–)10–12 mm | var. blitoides |
1. Plants 10–20+ cm; stems usually arching upward; leaves usually smaller than 4 × 2 cm, bases not clasping; phyllaries 5–10 mm | → 2 |
2. Leaf margins notably laciniate or laciniate-toothed (segments sometimes also toothed) | var. inexpectatus |
2. Leaf margins toothed or subentire | → 3 |
3. Leaves smaller and fewer distally; phyllaries 5–7(–8) mm | var. occidentalis |
3. Leaves ± equally developed along stems; phyllaries (7–)8–10 mm | var. fremontii |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
