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heath groundsel, wood groundsel, woodland groundsel, woodland ragwort

alpine groundsel, showy alpine ragwort

Habit Annuals, (15–)30–80+ cm (taproots fibrous-rooted). Perennials, (5–)10–60 cm (rhizomatous or with branched caudices).
Herbage

puberulent (hairs abundant, curly).

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

Stems

single.

single or loosely clustered.

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).

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

0 or 1–8+;

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

usually ± 13, sometimes fewer;

corolla laminae (10–)15–25 mm.

Phyllaries

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

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

Calyculi

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

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

Heads

12–24 in corymbiform arrays.

nodding, 1–5(–10).

Cypselae

hairy (especially on angles).

glabrous.

2n

= 40.

= 40, ca. 175–180.

Senecio sylvaticus

Senecio amplectens

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
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]
from FNA
CO; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[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.)

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. 563. 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. sheldonensis, S. soldanella, S. spartioides, S. sphaerocephalus, S. spribillei, S. squalidus, 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 Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 868. (1753) A. Gray: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 33: 240. (1862)
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