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Mohave groundsel, Mojave ragwort

Elmer's butterweed, Elmer's ragwort

Habit Annuals, 10–30(–40) cm (taproots often twisted). Perennials, 10–20(–30) cm (rhizomes trailing or branching).
Herbage

(sometimes purple-tinged) glabrous.

unevenly villous-tomentose or floccose, glabrescent.

Stems

usually 1 (freely branching upward).

single (from loosely clustered basal leaves).

Leaves

equally distributed; petiolate;

blades ovate to obovate, 2–6 × 0.5–2(–4) cm, bases tapered, margins coarsely lobed or irregularly dentate (mid and distal leaves similar, bases expanded, truncate to cordate, clasping, 1–2 cm across).

progressively reduced distally; ± petiolate;

blades ovate to oblanceolate, (3–)4–8(–10) × 2–3(–4) cm, bases tapered, margins shallowly dentate (mid and distal leaves smaller, bractlike, often clasping).

Ray florets

0 or 1–3+;

corolla laminae 0.1–1 mm (little expanded, barely, if at all, surpassing phyllaries; sometimes laminae 0 and heads perhaps technically disciform).

± 8;

corolla laminae 8–15 mm.

Phyllaries

± 8 or ± 13, 6–7 mm, tips green.

(± 8) ± 13, 8–10 mm, tips black (villous).

Calyculi

of 3–5+ lance-linear bractlets.

of 2–7 lance-linear to linear bractlets (lengths 1/3–2/3 phyllaries).

Heads

3–10 in loose, cymiform arrays.

erect or weakly nodding (especially in bud), (2–)5–9(–12) in loose, cymiform arrays.

Cypselae

hairy.

glabrous.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Senecio mohavensis

Senecio elmeri

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Sandy or rocky washes, desert flats Alpine and subalpine rocky sites and talus slopes
Elevation 100–700 m (300–2300 ft) 2000–3000 m (6600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio mohavensis is similar to S. flavus (Decaisne) Schultz-Bipontinus of the Mediterranean region and southwest Asia, which raises phytogeographic questions (cf. A. Liston et al. 1989; Liston and J. W. Kadereit 1995; M. Coleman et al. 2001). The last cited study showed that a previously recognized variety of S. flavus is more closely related to S. mohavensis than to S. flavus and a new combination was made: S. mohavensis subsp. brevifolius (Kadereit) M. Coleman.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 563. FNA vol. 20, p. 551.
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. megacephalus, 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. 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. crepidineus
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 446. (1884) Piper: Erythea 7: 173. (1899)
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