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Mount Sheldon butterweed, Mount Sheldon ragwort, Mt. Sheldon ragwort

alpine groundsel, showy alpine ragwort

Habit Perennials, 30–40(–50) cm (caudices branched, fibrous-rooted). Perennials, (5–)10–60 cm (rhizomatous or with branched caudices).
Herbage

glabrous or with scattered hairs near leaf bases and among heads.

(often purplish-tinged) glabrous or sparsely and unevenly hairy, especially near leaf axils and among heads, usually glabrescent.

Stems

single or loosely clustered.

single or loosely clustered.

Leaves

evenly distributed;

petiolate or subsessile;

blades lanceolate, 4–10 × 2–4 cm, bases ± tapered, margins denticulate (distal leaves sessile, smaller).

usually progressively reduced distally (basal sometimes smaller than proximal or mid leaves);

petiolate (petioles shorter than to equaling blades, often clasping);

blades broadly lanceolate or lanceolate to oblanceolate, (5–)10–20+ × 2–4(–5+) cm, bases tapered, margins dentate to denticulate (distal leaves smaller, bractlike).

Ray florets

± 8;

corolla laminae ± 10 mm.

usually ± 13, sometimes fewer;

corolla laminae (10–)15–25 mm.

Phyllaries

± 13, 7–10 mm, tips black (hairy).

± 13 or ± 21, tips often black or brownish (sometimes with scattered black hairs).

Calyculi

of 3–7 bractlets (0.5–3 mm).

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

Heads

(1–)3–5(–6) in cymiform arrays.

nodding, 1–5(–10).

Cypselae

glabrous.

glabrous.

2n

= 40, ca. 175–180.

Senecio sheldonensis

Senecio amplectens

Phenology Flowering late Jul–mid Aug.
Habitat Subalpine meadows and valleys
Elevation 1200–1800 m (3900–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
BC; NT; YT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio sheldonensis is infrequently collected and poorly understood. The treatment here is provisional.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The varieties of Senecio amplectens are distinguished by morphologic tendencies and habitat preferences; there are many intermediates. Where the ranges of the two overlap, var. amplectens occurs at slightly lower elevations than var. holmii.

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

Key
1. Plants (30–)40–60+; herbage sometimes sparsely hairy; leaves mostly proximal and mid cauline; phyllaries frequently black or purplish toward tips, sometimes with black hairs on abaxial faces
var. amplectens
1. Plants (5–)10–20(–30) cm; herbage glabrous or glabrate at flowering; leaves mostly basal and proximal; phyllaries green or light purplish, glabrous
var. holmii
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 567. FNA vol. 20, p. 552.
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. rapifolius, S. riddellii, S. sacramentanus, S. scorzonella, S. serra, 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. 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. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
Subordinate taxa
S. amplectens var. amplectens, S. amplectens var. holmii
Synonyms Ligularia amplectens
Name authority A. E. Porsild: Canad. Field-Naturalist 64: 43. (1950) A. Gray: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 240. (1862)
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