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Aleutian ragwort

Senecio lugens

black-tip groundsel, small blacktip ragwort

Habit Perennials, (50–)100–150+ cm (rhizomes fibrous-rooted). Perennials, (10–)20–35(–50) cm (rhizomes suberect to creeping).
Herbage

unevenly tomentose, glabrescent, except persistently hairy on abaxial faces of leaves.

loosely, often unevenly, floccose-tomentose, glabrescent.

Stems

single.

single or clustered.

Leaves

± evenly distributed (basal and proximal withering before flowering); mostly petiolate (proximal);

blades oblong or ovate to oblong-lanceolate (pinnately or subpalmately parted, primary lobes 3–6+, lanceolate to lance-linear, 3–8+ cm), 10–20+ × 8–15+ cm, bases ± tapered, ultimate margins serrate (distal leaves similar, sessile, smaller).

reduced distally;

petiolate;

blades narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, (4–)8–18(–25) cm, bases tapered, margins subentire to dentate (denticles callous; mid and distal leaves bractlike, clasping).

Ray florets

± 5;

corolla laminae ca. 10 mm.

(± 5) ± 8 (± 13);

corolla laminae 8–10(–15) mm.

Phyllaries

± 13, 4–6 mm, tips green.

(± 8) ± 13 (± 21), 4–7 mm, tips black.

Calyculi

0 or of 1–5+ subulate bractlets (lengths about 1/3 phyllaries).

of 2–5 linear bractlets (1–2 mm).

Heads

20–50 in corymbiform arrays.

(2–)7–12(–20+) in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

glabrous.

glabrous.

2n

= 40.

= 40, 80.

Senecio cannabifolius

Senecio lugens

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Open meadows and slopes Moist meadows, gravelly streambeds, open woods in alpine or boreal sites
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 200–2500 m (700–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio cannabifolius barely enters the flora from far-eastern Asia. Infraspecific taxa are recognized within S. cannabifolius in some floras of Asiatic regions; our plants are referable to var. cannabifolius.

Senecio cannabifolius has been treated in Jacobaea by E. Wiebe (2000); see discussion under 53. S. jacobaea.

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

Senecio lugens varies greatly in robustness across its range. It is scattered widely in the Rocky Mountain uplift and adjacent regions from northern Wyoming to Alaska; it is disjunct in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Superficially similar to S. integerrimus, S. lugens has well-developed, coarse, spreading rootstocks with branching roots; S. integerrimus arises from foreshortened, buttonlike caudices with abundant unbranched, fleshy-fibrous roots.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 569. FNA vol. 20, p. 554.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio
Sibling taxa
S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, S. atratus, S. bigelovii, S. blochmaniae, S. californicus, S. clarkianus, S. crassulus, S. elegans, S. elmeri, S. eremophilus, S. ertterae, S. erucifolius, S. flaccidus, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. lemmonii, S. lugens, S. lyonii, S. megacephalus, S. mohavensis, S. multidentatus, S. neowebsteri, S. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, S. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, S. scorzonella, S. serra, S. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, S. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, S. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, S. atratus, S. bigelovii, S. blochmaniae, S. californicus, S. cannabifolius, S. clarkianus, S. crassulus, S. elegans, S. elmeri, S. eremophilus, S. ertterae, S. erucifolius, S. flaccidus, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, S. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. lemmonii, S. lyonii, S. megacephalus, S. mohavensis, S. multidentatus, S. neowebsteri, S. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, S. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, S. scorzonella, S. serra, S. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, S. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, S. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
Synonyms Jacobaea cannabifolia, S. palmatus S. glaucescens, S. imbricatus, S. integerrimus var. lugens
Name authority Lessing: Linnaea 6: 242. (1831) Richardson: in J. Franklin et al., Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 748. (1823)
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