The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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

mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials (possibly biennials), (10–)20–70 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots fleshy-fibrous). Perennials (annuals?), 30–60(–100) cm (apparently taprooted).
Herbage

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

viscid-pubescent (reputedly notably odorous).

Stems

single.

single (sometimes branching).

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).

evenly distributed (basal and proximal sometimes withering before flowering); weakly petiolate;

blades ovate or obovate to suborbiculate, spatulate, or lanceolate, 8–12 × 2–4 cm, bases tapered to truncate, margins dentate (mid and distal leaves similar, triangular-lanceolate, bases truncate, clasping).

Ray florets

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes 0;

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

± 13;

corolla laminae 8–10(–12+) mm.

Phyllaries

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

± 21, 6–7 mm, tips greenish.

Calyculi

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

of 5–15+ lanceolate or linear to subulate bractlets (lengths 1/3–7/8+ phyllaries).

Heads

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

12–30 in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

usually glabrous, sometimes hirtellous (mostly on angles).

hairy.

2n

= 40, 80.

Senecio integerrimus

Senecio parryi

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Rocky, disturbed sites in desert mountains
Elevation 1300–2300 m (4300–7500 ft)
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; NM; TX; Mexico
[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.)

Senecio parryi is infrequently collected and poorly known. In the flora, it is known from trans-Pecos Texas westward to southern Arizona.

(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
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 556. FNA vol. 20, p. 568.
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. 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. 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
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 165. (1818) A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 103. (1859)
Web links