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common groundsel, common ragwort, old-man-in-the-spring

lambstongue ragwort, mountain butterweed, one-stem butterweed, tall western groundsel, western groundsel

Habit Annuals, (10–)20–50(–60+) cm (taprooted). Perennials (possibly biennials), (10–)20–70 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots fleshy-fibrous).
Herbage

glabrous or sparsely and unevenly tomentose when young.

arachnose, loosely tomentose, or villous (hairs crisped, jointed), glabrescent.

Stems

usually 1.

single.

Leaves

evenly distributed; petiolate;

blades ovate to oblanceolate, 2–10 × 0.5–2(–4) cm, bases tapered, margins lobulate to dentate, ultimate margins often secondarily dentate to denticulate (distal leaves sessile).

progressively reduced distally; ± petiolate;

blades elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, rounded-deltate, or suborbiculate, 6–25 × 1–6 cm, bases ± tapered or truncate to cordate, margins entire or ± dentate (distal leaves sessile, bractlike).

Ray florets

0.

usually ± 8 or ± 13, sometimes 0;

corolla laminae 6–15(–20) mm (usually yellow, ochroleucous to white in one variety).

Phyllaries

± 21, 4–6 mm, tips usually green, sometimes black.

usually ± 13 or ± 21, rarely ± 8, (4–)5–12(–15) mm, tips usually black, sometimes green.

Calyculi

of 2–4(–6+) bractlets (prominent, black-tipped, lengths about 1/4 phyllaries).

of 1–5+ linear to filiform bractlets (seldom more than 2 mm).

Heads

8–20 in loose, corymbiform arrays.

6–20(–40+) in corymbiform arrays (peduncle of terminal head often shorter than others).

Cypselae

usually sparsely hairy, sometimes nearly glabrous.

usually glabrous, sometimes hirtellous (mostly on angles).

2n

= 40.

= 40, 80.

Senecio vulgaris

Senecio integerrimus

Phenology Flowering early spring (through summer in far North).
Habitat Disturbed sites
Elevation 1–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NV; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia [Probably introduced]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Senecio vulgaris has not been collected in the Canadian Arctic north of Hudson Bay.

A widely scattered weed of Eurasian origin, Senecio vulgaris is particularly abundant in southern areas of cool damp winters or northern areas of cool damp summers.

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

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

The varieties of Senecio integerrimus are distinguished by morphology and geography.

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

Key
1. Basal leaves with distinct petioles, blades usually ovate to rounded-deltate, sometimes obovate to oblanceolate; ray corollas white or ochroleucous
var. ochroleucus
1. Basal leaves with or without distinct petioles, blades elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, rounded-deltate, sublinear, or suborbiculate; ray corollas yellow (or rays 0)
→ 2
2. Herbage glabrous or glabrate at flowering (except in leaf axils and among heads); phyllaries linear-subulate, tips usually green, minutely (if at all) black
var. integerrimus
2. Herbage usually arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries lanceolate to linear-subulate, tips black (if minutely so, then narrowly lanceolate and broader than subulate)
→ 3
3. Basal and proximal leaves oblong or lanceolate to sublinear; heads 3–6(–16+); phyllaries 10–15+ mm
var. scribneri
3. Basal and proximal leaves mostly elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes elliptic or rounded-deltate to suborbiculate; heads usually 6–15(–30+; if fewer than 6, leaves lanceolate or broader); phyllaries 5–12 mm.
→ 4
4. Plants copiously arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries linear-subulate, 8–12 mm, tips minutely, if at all, blackened
var. major
4. Plants copiously to sparsely arachnose, tomentose, or villous at flowering; phyllaries mostly lanceolate (seldom as narrow as linear-subulate), 5–10 mm, tips black
var. exaltatus
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 562. FNA vol. 20, p. 556.
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. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, 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. 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. integerrimus var. exaltatus, S. integerrimus var. integerrimus, S. integerrimus var. major, S. integerrimus var. ochroleucus, S. integerrimus var. scribneri
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 867. (1753) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 165. (1818)
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