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threadleaf ragwort

Douglas' groundsel, Mono groundsel, shrubby butterweed, shrubby ragwort, threadleaf groundsel, threadleaf ragwort

Habit Subshrubs or shrubs, (30–)40–120+ cm (taproots forming woody crowns).
Herbage

usually tomentose (hairs whitish), sometimes unevenly glabrescent.

glabrous or ± lanate-tomentose.

Stems

usually multiple (little branched, arching-erect).

Leaves

± evenly distributed;

sessile or obscurely petiolate;

blades narrowly linear to filiform (or pinnatifid, the segments linear to filiform), 3–10(–12) cm, bases ± linear, ultimate margins entire or remotely toothed (fascicles of smaller leaves sometimes borne in axils of larger leaves).

Involucres

cylindric or weakly campanulate.

Ray florets

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes ± 21;

corolla laminae 10–15(–20) mm (mostly yellow, sometimes ochroleucous).

Phyllaries

± 13 (± 21), 5– 8+ mm.

± 13 or ± 21+, 5–10(–12) mm, tips green or minutely black.

Calyculi

bractlets minute or 0.

usually of 3–5+ bractlets (lengths often to 1/2+ phyllaries), sometimes 0.

Heads

(1–)3–10(–20+) in corymbiform or subcorymbiform clusters, often gathered in larger, showy arrays (involucres campanulate or cylindric).

Cypselae

hairy.

2n

= 40.

Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus

Senecio flaccidus

Phenology Flowering mostly summer–fall, less frequently spring.
Habitat Dry, open sandy or rocky plains, streambeds, and canyons
Elevation 800–2400 m (2600–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NM; OK; TX; UT; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; KS; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus intergrades at least to some extent with var. monoensis in areas of overlapping ranges; a case could be made for treating the two as distinct species, as done by A. Cronquist (1994).

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties of Senecio flaccidus are distinguished by morphologic tendencies and geography. The species occurs southward to central Mexico; a sound understanding of the infraspecific taxonomy must await revisionary studies that include the Mexican plants.

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

Key
1. Herbage usually tomentose (hairs whitish), sometimes unevenly glabrescent; bractlets of calyculi minute or 0; involucres cylindric or ± campanulate; phyllaries ± 13 or ± 21, 5–8+ mm
var. flaccidus
1. Herbage ± tomentose, glabrate, or glabrous; bractlets of calyculi well developed (lengths mostly 1/3 – 1/2 phyllaries); involucres ± campanulate; phyllaries ± 21, 7–12 mm
→ 2
2. Plants usually ± tomentose (usually with persistent, uneven grayish tomentum), sometimes unevenly glabrescent; California w of crests of Sierra Nevada and related ranges
var. douglasii
2. Plants glabrate or glabrous; California deserts e of crest of Sierra Nevada and eastward
var. monoensis
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 559. FNA vol. 20, p. 558.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio > Senecio flaccidus Asteraceae > tribe Senecioneae > Senecio
Sibling taxa
S. flaccidus var. douglasii, S. flaccidus var. monoensis
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. 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
Subordinate taxa
S. flaccidus var. douglasii, S. flaccidus var. flaccidus, S. flaccidus var. monoensis
Synonyms S. douglasii var. jamesii, S. douglasii var. longilobus, S. longilobus
Name authority unknown Lessing: Linnaea 5: 161. (1830)
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