Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio megacephalus

Senecio elegans

large-head groundsel, rocky ragwort

purple ragwort, red-purple ragwort
Habit Perennials, (15–)30–50 cm (rhizomes woody, suberect or creeping). Annuals, 20–40(–60) cm (taprooted).
Herbage

loosely arachno-tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.

(somewhat sticky) hairy or unevenly glabrate.
Stems

single or clustered.

single (often branching distally).
Leaves

progressively reduced distally; weakly petiolate;

blades lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, 10–18+ × 1–2(–3+) cm, bases tapered, margins entire or wavy (often with dark, cartilaginous denticles; mid leaves similar, smaller, sessile; distal leaves bractlike).

evenly distributed;

petiolate (petiole bases ± expanded);

blades obovate (lyrate to pinnatifid, lobes linear to ± cruciate), 3–8 × 1.5–3.5 cm, bases contracted or tapered, ultimate margins ± dentate to crenate.
Ray florets

± 13;

corolla laminae (5–)15–20 mm.

± 13;

corolla laminae (deep red to purple) 10–15 mm.
Phyllaries

± 21, 9–12(–14) mm, tips not notably blackened (short-hairy).

± 13+, 6–10 mm, tips black.
Calyculi

of 5–8+ linear to filiform bractlets (lengths 1/2–7/8+ phyllaries).

of 8–14 ± ovate bractlets (lengths to 1/2 phyllaries).
Heads

usually 1 (sometimes subtended by 1–2 smaller heads).

8–20 in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

glabrous.

usually hairy.
2n

= 40.

= 20.

Senecio megacephalus

Senecio elegans
Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering mostly spring–summer (sparingly at other times).
Habitat Rocky, moist or drying sites, especially on mountain slopes Disturbed coastal sites
Elevation 1500–2500 m (4900–8200 ft) 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WY; AB; BC
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Africa [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio elegans escapes from cultivation and persists along the central coast of California. Native to South Africa, it is now established widely in areas of Mediterranean climate.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 553. FNA vol. 20, p. 567.
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. lugens, S. lyonii, 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. 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
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 410. (1841) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 869. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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