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

black-tip groundsel, small blacktip ragwort

common groundsel, common ragwort, old-man-in-the-spring

Habit Perennials, (10–)20–35(–50) cm (rhizomes suberect to creeping). Annuals, (10–)20–50(–60+) cm (taprooted).
Herbage

loosely, often unevenly, floccose-tomentose, glabrescent.

glabrous or sparsely and unevenly tomentose when young.

Stems

single or clustered.

usually 1.

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;

blades ovate to oblanceolate, 2–10 × 0.5–2(–4) cm, bases tapered, margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins often secondarily dentate to denticulate (distal leaves sessile).

Ray florets

(± 5) ± 8 (± 13);

corolla laminae 8–10(–15) mm.

0.

Phyllaries

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

± 21, 4–6 mm, tips usually green, sometimes black.

Calyculi

of 2–5 linear bractlets (1–2 mm).

of 2–4(–6+) bractlets (prominent, black-tipped, lengths about 1/4 phyllaries).

Heads

(2–)7–12(–20+) in corymbiform arrays.

8–20 in loose, corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

glabrous.

usually sparsely hairy, sometimes nearly glabrous.

2n

= 40, 80.

= 40.

Senecio lugens

Senecio vulgaris

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering early spring (through summer in far North).
Habitat Moist meadows, gravelly streambeds, open woods in alpine or boreal sites Disturbed sites
Elevation 200–2500 m (700–8200 ft) 1–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NV; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia [Probably introduced]
[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 vulgaris has not been collected in the Canadian Arctic north of Hudson Bay.

A widely scattered weed of Eurasian origin, Senecio vulgaris is particularly abundant in southern areas of cool damp winters or northern areas of cool damp summers.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 554. FNA vol. 20, p. 562.
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. 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. 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) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 867. (1753)
Web links