Flora of North America species comparison

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Senecio sylvaticus

Senecio scorzonella

heath groundsel, wood groundsel, woodland groundsel, woodland ragwort

Sierra groundsel, Sierra ragwort
Habit Annuals, (15–)30–80+ cm (taproots fibrous-rooted). Perennials, 10–40(–50) cm (rhizomes stout).
Herbage

puberulent (hairs abundant, curly).

closely lanate to floccose-tomentose, unevenly glabrescent.
Stems

single.

usually single, rarely 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).

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 or 1–8+;

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

usually ± 5, sometimes 0;

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

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

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

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

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

12–24 in corymbiform arrays.

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

hairy (especially on angles).

glabrous.
2n

= 40.

Senecio sylvaticus

Senecio scorzonella
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (northern areas of cool, climate); winter (southern areas). Flowering summer.
Habitat Mildly disturbed woodlands, open, sandy sites Open wooded areas and subalpine meadows
Elevation 100–300 m (300–1000 ft) 1600–3500 m (5200–11500 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
CA; NV
[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.)

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. 563. 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. 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. 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 Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 868. (1753) 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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