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Senecio lugens

black-tip groundsel, small blacktip ragwort

mountain ragwort

Habit Perennials, (10–)20–35(–50) cm (rhizomes suberect to creeping). Perennials (annuals?), 30–60(–100) cm (apparently taprooted).
Herbage

loosely, often unevenly, floccose-tomentose, glabrescent.

viscid-pubescent (reputedly notably odorous).

Stems

single or clustered.

single (sometimes branching).

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 (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

(± 5) ± 8 (± 13);

corolla laminae 8–10(–15) mm.

± 13;

corolla laminae 8–10(–12+) mm.

Phyllaries

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

± 21, 6–7 mm, tips greenish.

Calyculi

of 2–5 linear bractlets (1–2 mm).

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

Heads

(2–)7–12(–20+) in corymbiform arrays.

12–30 in corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

glabrous.

hairy.

2n

= 40, 80.

Senecio lugens

Senecio parryi

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Moist meadows, gravelly streambeds, open woods in alpine or boreal sites Rocky, disturbed sites in desert mountains
Elevation 200–2500 m (700–8200 ft) 1300–2300 m (4300–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
[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 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.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 554. 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. 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. 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
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: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 103. (1859)
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