Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio rapifolius

Senecio elegans

openwoods ragwort

purple ragwort, red-purple ragwort
Habit Perennials, (20–)30–60 cm (rhizomes branched, spreading or suberect). Annuals, 20–40(–60) cm (taprooted).
Herbage

(unevenly purple-tinged, often glaucous) glabrous.

(somewhat sticky) hairy or unevenly glabrate.
Stems

1–(2–3).

single (often branching distally).
Leaves

progressively reduced distally; petiolate;

blades ovate to oblanceolate, 4–8(–9+) × (2–)3–5 cm, bases tapered, margins dentate to incised-dentate (some denticles callous; mid leaves similar, smaller, ± clasping; 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

0.

± 13;

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

(± 5) ± 8, 3–4(–5) mm, tips green or brownish.

± 13+, 6–10 mm, tips black.
Calyculi

0 or of 1–3+ lance-deltate to lance-linear bractlets (mostly less than 1 mm).

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

25–60+ in cymiform clusters of 3–12.

8–20 in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

glabrous.

usually hairy.
2n

= 40.

= 20.

Senecio rapifolius

Senecio elegans
Phenology Flowering late summer–early fall. Flowering mostly spring–summer (sparingly at other times).
Habitat Rocky hillsides and cliffs in coniferous wooded areas Disturbed coastal sites
Elevation 1800–2800 m (5900–9200 ft) 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; SD; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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. megacephalus, S. mohavensis, S. multidentatus, S. neowebsteri, S. parryi, S. pattersonensis, S. pseudoarnica, S. pudicus, S. quaylei, 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: 409. (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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