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dwarf mountain butterweed, dwarf mountain ragwort, Fremont's groundsel, Fremont's ragwort

Habit Perennials, 10–30(–40) cm (perennating bases subrhizomatous, spreading, sometimes knotty-woody).
Herbage

(often purple-tinged) glabrous.

Stems

clustered (arching upward to semiprostrate).

Leaves

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.

Ray florets

± 8;

corolla laminae 8–12 mm.

Phyllaries

(± 8) ± 13 (± 21), 5–12 mm, tips green or brownish.

Calyculi

0 or of 1–5+ usually lance-deltate to linear, sometimes foliaceous, bractlets (lengths mostly 1/5–1/2 phyllaries).

Heads

1–5+.

Cypselae

glabrous or strigose-hirtellous, at least on angles.

2n

= 40, 40+, 80.

Senecio fremontii

Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Key
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
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 564.
Parent taxa 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. flaccidus, 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. fremontii var. blitoides, S. fremontii var. fremontii, S. fremontii var. inexpectatus, S. fremontii var. occidentalis
Synonyms S. ductoris
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 445. (1843)
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