Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio spartioides

Senecio californicus

broom groundsel, broom senecio, broom-like ragwort, grass-leaf ragwort, many-head groundsel

California butterweed, California ragwort
Habit Subshrubs, 20–120+ cm (taproots forming woody crowns). Annuals, (5–)10–30(–50+) cm (taprooted).
Herbage

usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely, unevenly hairy.

glabrous or sparsely tomentose.
Stems

usually multiple (branching and arching upward).

usually single (erect), sometimes 2–6 (branching from bases, arching upward).
Leaves

evenly distributed (proximal often smaller);

sessile or obscurely petiolate;

blades narrowly linear to filiform (or parted into linear-filiform lobes), 5–10 cm × 1–6 mm, bases ± linear, ultimate margins entire.

(sometimes subsucculent) evenly distributed; ± petiolate (proximal);

blades linear-lanceolate to lanceolate 2–5(–7+) × 0.5–2(–3+) cm, bases tapered, margins subpinnatifid to dentate or subentire (mid and distal leaves sessile, bases clasping).
Ray florets

± 5 (± 13);

corolla laminae 8–12 mm.

± 13;

corolla laminae 8–11 mm.
Phyllaries

usually ± 8, sometimes ± 13, (5–)6–9(–10) mm, tips green or minutely black.

± 21 (sometimes fewer), 5–7(–8) mm, tips black.
Calyculi

0 or of 1–3+ (minute, inconspicuous) bractlets.

of 5–8+ lanceolate to lance-linear or filiform bractlets (0.5–3 mm, usually inconspicuous).
Heads

10–20(–60) in compound corymbiform arrays (involucres cylindric or narrowly campanulate, 3–6 mm diam.).

usually 3–10(–20+) in open, cymiform arrays, sometimes borne singly (depauperate plants).
Cypselae

usually hirtellous, sometimes glabrous.

hirtellous-strigose.
2n

= 40.

= 40.

Senecio spartioides

Senecio californicus
Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering late winter–spring.
Habitat Open, dry disturbed sites, especially stream banks and hillsides Sandy, dry or drying sites, especially near coast
Elevation 1000–3500 m (3300–11500 ft) 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NE; NM; NV; SD; TX; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with the leaves parted into lobes that are seldom more than 1 mm wide have been recognized as Senecio spartioides var. multicapitatus (or as S. multicapitatus); expression of the character is inconsistent throughout the range and recognition of the two entities is all but impossible to maintain.

Senecio spartioides apparently hybridizes with S. eremophilus in Garfield County, Utah, and perhaps elsewhere (cf., Holmgren, Reveal, and LaFrance 3463, BRY, KSC, NY). The name Senecio toiyabensis rests upon materials that suggest introgression with S. fremontii. Some specimens usually referred to 41. S. pattersonensis suggest introgression with S. spartioides.

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

Dwarfish, subsucculent plants of Senecio californicus from near the coast have been recognized as S. ammophilus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 559. FNA vol. 20, p. 561.
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. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, 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. 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
Synonyms S. andersonii, S. incurvus, S. multicapitatus, S. serra var. sanctus, S. spartioides var. granularis, S. toiyabensis S. ammophilus, S. californicus var. ammophilus, S. coronopus
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 2: 438. (1843) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 6: 426. (1838)
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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