Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio rapifolius

Senecio scorzonella

openwoods ragwort

Sierra groundsel, Sierra ragwort
Habit Perennials, (20–)30–60 cm (rhizomes branched, spreading or suberect). Perennials, 10–40(–50) cm (rhizomes stout).
Herbage

(unevenly purple-tinged, often glaucous) glabrous.

closely lanate to floccose-tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.
Stems

1–(2–3).

usually single, rarely clustered.
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).

reduced distally; obscurely petiolate;

blades oblanceolate to lanceolate, (4–)6–12+ × (1–)1.5–3 cm, bases tapering to winged petioles, margins dentate to denticulate (denticles dark, cartilaginous; mid and distal leaves smaller, bractlike).
Ray florets

0.

usually ± 5, sometimes 0;

corolla laminae 5–8(–10) mm.
Phyllaries

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

± 13, 3–5 mm, tips usually black.
Calyculi

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

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

25–60+ in cymiform clusters of 3–12.

(10–)14–24(–30+) in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

glabrous.

glabrous.
2n

= 40.

Senecio rapifolius

Senecio scorzonella
Phenology Flowering late summer–early fall. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky hillsides and cliffs in coniferous wooded areas Open wooded areas and subalpine meadows
Elevation 1800–2800 m (5900–9200 ft) 1600–3500 m (5200–11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; SD; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio scorzonella is restricted to high elevations in the Sierra Nevada–Cascade uplift and the White Mountains of California; it barely enters adjacent Nevada.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 553. FNA vol. 20, p. 554.
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. 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. 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. covillei, S. covillei var. scorzonella
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 409. (1841) Greene: Pittonia 3: 90. (1896)
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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