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

Sierra groundsel, Sierra ragwort

Habit Perennials (possibly biennials), (10–)20–70 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots fleshy-fibrous). Perennials, 10–40(–50) cm (rhizomes stout).
Herbage

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

closely lanate to floccose-tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.

Stems

single.

usually single, rarely 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).

reduced distally; obscurely petiolate;

blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, (4–)6–12+ × (1–)1.5–3 cm, bases tapering to winged petioles, margins dentate to denticulate (denticles dark, cartilaginous; mid and distal leaves smaller, bractlike).

Ray florets

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes 0;

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

usually ± 5, sometimes 0;

corolla laminae 5–8(–10) mm.

Phyllaries

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

± 13, 3–5 mm, tips usually black.

Calyculi

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

0 or of 1–3+ lance-deltate to lance-linear bractlets (mostly less than 1 mm).

Heads

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

(10–)14–24(–30+) in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

usually glabrous, sometimes hirtellous (mostly on angles).

glabrous.

2n

= 40, 80.

Senecio integerrimus

Senecio scorzonella

Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Open wooded areas and subalpine meadows
Elevation 1600–3500 m (5200–11500 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
CA; NV
[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.)

Senecio scorzonella is restricted to high elevations in the Sierra Nevada–Cascade uplift and the White Mountains of California; it barely enters adjacent Nevada.

(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. 554.
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. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, S. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, 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
Synonyms S. covillei, S. covillei var. scorzonella
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 165. (1818) Greene: Pittonia 3: 90. (1896)
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