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

butterweed, rayless groundsel, rayless ragwort

Habit Subshrubs or shrubs, (30–)40–120+ cm (taproots forming woody crowns). Perennials (biennials?), 30–90 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots unbranched, fleshy-fibrous).
Herbage

glabrous or ± lanate-tomentose.

loosely and sparsely arachnose to finely tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.

Stems

usually multiple (little branched, arching-erect).

single.

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).

progressively reduced distally; petiolate;

blades ovate or oblanceolate to oblong, 7–20 × 2–3 cm, bases broadly to narrowly tapered, margins repand-denticulate or sublaciniate to subentire (mid and distal leaves sessile, smaller, weakly clasping).

Ray florets

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes ± 21;

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

0 or 1–2;

corolla laminae 4–7 mm.

Phyllaries

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

± 8 or ± 13, 4–8 mm, tips green or black.

Calyculi

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

0 or of 1–3+ oblong to linear bractlets (seldom more than 1.5 mm).

Heads

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

(6–)15–30+ in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

hairy.

glabrous.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Senecio flaccidus

Senecio aronicoides

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry or drying sites in open woodlands, upper foothills and montane forests
Elevation 800–2500 m (2600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; KS; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 558. FNA vol. 20, p. 556.
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. 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
S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, 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. 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. leptolepis, S. rawsonianus
Name authority Lessing: Linnaea 5: 161. (1830) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 6: 426. (1838)
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