Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio sylvaticus

heath groundsel, wood groundsel, woodland groundsel, woodland ragwort
Habit Annuals, (15–)30–80+ cm (taproots fibrous-rooted).
Herbage

puberulent (hairs abundant, curly).
Stems

single.
Leaves

evenly distributed;

petiolate;

blades obovate to oblong, 3–7(–12) × 1–3(–4) cm, usually 1–2-pinnate, bases tapered, ultimate margins dentate (distal leaves similar, clasping, bractlike).
Ray florets

0 or 1–8+;

corolla laminae usually 1–2+ mm (barely surpassing phyllaries).
Phyllaries

± 13 (± 21), 4–7+ mm, tips greenish or minutely black.
Calyculi

0 or of 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets.
Heads

12–24 in corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

hairy (especially on angles).
2n

= 40.

Senecio sylvaticus
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (northern areas of cool, climate); winter (southern areas).
Habitat Mildly disturbed woodlands, open, sandy sites
Elevation 100–300 m [300–1000 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
CA; LA; MA; MI; NJ; OH; OR; PA; WA; WI; BC; NB; NF; NS; PE; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio sylvaticus is a Eurasian weed that favors cool, wet climates. It is well established in coastal areas of the Pacific Coast and in parts of Newfoundland and Quebec; elsewhere in the flora, it appears to be sporadic.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Parent taxa 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. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. warnockii, S. wootonii
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 868. (1753)
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 563. Treatment author: Theodore M. Barkley†.
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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