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Senecio lugens

black-tip groundsel, small blacktip ragwort

Clark's ragwort

Habit Perennials, (10–)20–35(–50) cm (rhizomes suberect to creeping). Perennials, (50–)60–100(–120) cm (caudices fibrous-rooted).
Herbage

loosely, often unevenly, floccose-tomentose, glabrescent.

sparsely floccose-tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.

Stems

single or clustered.

single.

Leaves

reduced distally; petiolate;

blades narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, (4–)8–18(–25) cm, bases tapered, margins subentire to dentate (denticles callous; mid and distal leaves bractlike, clasping).

evenly distributed; petiolate;

well-developed mid leaves: blades lanceolate to oblong,(8–)10–15(–18) × (2–)3–5(–9) cm overall, margins deeply dentate or irregularly pinnate-lobed to laciniate;

distal leaves sessile, weakly clasping.

Ray florets

(± 5) ± 8 (± 13);

corolla laminae 8–10(–15) mm.

± 8 or ± 13;

corolla laminae 8–12(–20) mm.

Phyllaries

(± 8) ± 13 (± 21), 4–7 mm, tips black.

± 13 or ± 21, 5–8 mm, tips green.

Calyculi

of 2–5 linear bractlets (1–2 mm).

of 3–8+ linear to filiform bractlets (lengths 1/2–3/4+ phyllaries).

Heads

(2–)7–12(–20+) in corymbiform arrays.

8–20 in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

glabrous.

glabrous.

2n

= 40, 80.

Senecio lugens

Senecio clarkianus

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late summer.
Habitat Moist meadows, gravelly streambeds, open woods in alpine or boreal sites Moist meadows, conifer-dominated sites
Elevation 200–2500 m (700–8200 ft) 1400–2700 m (4600–8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio lugens varies greatly in robustness across its range. It is scattered widely in the Rocky Mountain uplift and adjacent regions from northern Wyoming to Alaska; it is disjunct in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Superficially similar to S. integerrimus, S. lugens has well-developed, coarse, spreading rootstocks with branching roots; S. integerrimus arises from foreshortened, buttonlike caudices with abundant unbranched, fleshy-fibrous roots.

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

Senecio clarkianus grows on west slopes of the central and southern Sierra Nevada.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 554. FNA vol. 20, p. 566.
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. integerrimus, S. jacobaea, S. lemmonii, 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. 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
Synonyms S. glaucescens, S. imbricatus, S. integerrimus var. lugens
Name authority Richardson: in J. Franklin et al., Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 748. (1823) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 362. (1868)
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