Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio integerrimus

Senecio bigelovii

lambstongue ragwort, mountain butterweed, one-stem butterweed, tall western groundsel, western groundsel

nodding groundsel, nodding ragwort
Habit Perennials (possibly biennials), (10–)20–70 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots fleshy-fibrous). Perennials, (20–)40–80(–120) cm (caudices fibrous-rooted).
Herbage

arachnose, loosely tomentose, or villous (hairs crisped, jointed), glabrescent.

usually floccose-tomentose to glabrescent, sometimes glabrous.
Stems

single.

single or loosely clustered.
Leaves

progressively reduced distally; ± petiolate;

blades elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, rounded-deltate, or suborbiculate, 6–25 × 1–6 cm, bases ± tapered or truncate to cordate, margins entire or ± dentate (distal leaves sessile, bractlike).

progressively reduced distally; petiolate (proximal);

blades ovate to lanceolate, 7–15 × (1–)2–5 cm, bases contracted or tapered, margins subentire or serrate to dentate (mid and distal leaves similar, sessile, bractlike, often clasping).
Ray florets

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes 0;

corolla laminae 6–15(–20) mm (usually yellow, ochroleucous to white in one variety).

0.
Phyllaries

usually ± 13 or ± 21, rarely ± 8, (4–)5–12(–15) mm, tips usually black, sometimes green.

± 13 or ± 21, 6–12 mm, tips green.
Calyculi

of 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets (seldom more than 2 mm).

of 4–10 linear bractlets (lengths mostly 1/3–1/2 phyllaries, sometimes 1 or 2 equaling phyllaries).
Heads

6–20(–40+) in corymbiform arrays (peduncle of terminal head often shorter than others).

nodding (especially when young), (1–)3–12(–20) in racemiform or paniculiform arrays (terminal heads often largest).
Cypselae

usually glabrous, sometimes hirtellous (mostly on angles).

glabrous.
2n

= 40, 80.

= 40.

Senecio integerrimus

Senecio bigelovii
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY; s Rocky Mountains and adjacent areas of the United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

The varieties of Senecio integerrimus are distinguished by morphology and geography.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The two varieties of Senecio bigelovii are distinguished by morphologic tendencies and by geography.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Basal leaves with distinct petioles, blades usually ovate to rounded-deltate, sometimes obovate to oblanceolate; ray corollas white or ochroleucous
var. ochroleucus
1. Basal leaves with or without distinct petioles, blades elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, rounded-deltate, sublinear, or suborbiculate; ray corollas yellow (or rays 0)
→ 2
2. Herbage glabrous or glabrate at flowering (except in leaf axils and among heads); phyllaries linear-subulate, tips usually green, minutely (if at all) black
var. integerrimus
2. Herbage usually arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries lanceolate to linear-subulate, tips black (if minutely so, then narrowly lanceolate and broader than subulate)
→ 3
3. Basal and proximal leaves oblong or lanceolate to sublinear; heads 3–6(–16+); phyllaries 10–15+ mm
var. scribneri
3. Basal and proximal leaves mostly elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes elliptic or rounded-deltate to suborbiculate; heads usually 6–15(–30+; if fewer than 6, leaves lanceolate or broader); phyllaries 5–12 mm.
→ 4
4. Plants copiously arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries linear-subulate, 8–12 mm, tips minutely, if at all, blackened
var. major
4. Plants copiously to sparsely arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries mostly lanceolate (seldom as narrow as linear-subulate), 5–10 mm, tips black
var. exaltatus
1. Herbage glabrous or nearly so (at flowering); blades of proximal leaves often abruptly contracted or at least obtuse at bases; mid and distal leaves clasping; phyllaries mostly 13, 6–8+ mm
var. bigelovii
1. Herbage often floccose-tomentose, especially among heads and on abaxial faces of leaves; blades of proximal leaves usually tapered to petioles; mid and distal leaves weakly, if at all, clasping; phyllaries mostly 21, (7–)8–12 mm
var. hallii
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 556. FNA vol. 20, p. 549.
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. flaccidus, S. fremontii, S. hydrophiloides, S. hydrophilus, 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. 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. integerrimus var. exaltatus, S. integerrimus var. integerrimus, S. integerrimus var. major, S. integerrimus var. ochroleucus, S. integerrimus var. scribneri
S. bigelovii var. bigelovii, S. bigelovii var. hallii
Synonyms Ligularia bigelovii
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 165. (1818) A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 111. (1857)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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