FNA: Senecio warnockii vs. Senecio atratus

	Senecio warnockii	Senecio atratus
	Warnock's ragwort	tall blacktip ragwort
Habit	Subshrubs, 20–40 cm (taproots forming woody crowns).	Perennials, (20–)35–70(–80+) cm (rhizomes or caudices branched, erect to weakly creeping).
Herbage	closely, unevenly lanate-floccose, glabrescent.	floccose-tomentose to canescent, sometimes unevenly glabrescent.
Stems	usually multiple (strict or nearly so, arching-erect).	1–(2–5).
Leaves	(often recurved and thickish-turgid) concentrated distally on stems; sessile or obscurely petiolate; blades narrowly linear to filiform (2–7 cm × 1 mm), bases ± linear, margins entire.	progressively reduced distally; petiolate; blades oblong-ovate to oblanceolate, (5–)10–30 × 1.5–4(–6) cm, bases tapered, margins dentate (denticles, dark, callous; mid leaves similar, sessile, smaller; distal leaves bractlike).
Ray florets	usually ± 8, rarely 0; corolla laminae 5–10 mm.	(± 3) ± 5; corolla laminae 5–8 mm.
Phyllaries	± 13, 5–8 mm, tips green or minutely black.	(± 5) ± 8, 6–8 mm, tips black.
Calyculi	0 or of 3–5 bractlets (lengths less than 1/2 phyllaries).	of 2–5 linear bractlets (lengths to 1/3 phyllaries).
Heads	3–10 in corymbiform arrays (involucres weakly campanulate).	20–60+ in corymbiform or subpaniculiform arrays.
Cypselae	glabrous.	glabrous.
2n		= 40. (A report of 2n = 46 is presumably erroneous.)

	Senecio warnockii	Senecio atratus
Phenology	Flowering fall (perhaps spring–summer).	Flowering late spring–early fall.
Habitat	Open sites, gypseous soils	Dry or drying, rocky or sandy sites in coniferous areas, especially sites with frequent disturbance
Elevation	800–1500 m (2600–4900 ft)	2800–4000 m (9200–13100 ft)
Distribution	NM; TX [BONAP county map]	CO; NM; UT; WY [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Of conservation concern. Senecio warnockii is infrequently collected; additional study may show it to be an edaphic phase of S. flaccidus. The restriction to gypseous soils and the gross aspect combine to make it distinctive. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 20, p. 559.	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. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. wootonii	S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, 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
Synonyms		S. atratus var. milleflorus, S. milleflorus
Name authority	Shinners: Sida 1: 379. (1964)	Greene: Pittonia 3: 105. (1896)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: SW CO Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Senecio atratus

Warnock's ragwort

tall blacktip ragwort

Habit

Subshrubs, 20–40 cm (taproots forming woody crowns).

Perennials, (20–)35–70(–80+) cm (rhizomes or caudices branched, erect to weakly creeping).

Herbage

closely, unevenly lanate-floccose, glabrescent.

floccose-tomentose to canescent, sometimes unevenly glabrescent.

Stems

usually multiple (strict or nearly so, arching-erect).

1–(2–5).

Leaves

(often recurved and thickish-turgid) concentrated distally on stems;

sessile or obscurely petiolate;

blades narrowly linear to filiform (2–7 cm × 1 mm), bases ± linear, margins entire.

progressively reduced distally;

petiolate;

blades oblong-ovate to oblanceolate, (5–)10–30 × 1.5–4(–6) cm, bases tapered, margins dentate (denticles, dark, callous; mid leaves similar, sessile, smaller; distal leaves bractlike).

Ray florets

usually ± 8, rarely 0;

corolla laminae 5–10 mm.

(± 3) ± 5;

corolla laminae 5–8 mm.

Phyllaries

± 13, 5–8 mm, tips green or minutely black.

(± 5) ± 8, 6–8 mm, tips black.

Calyculi

0 or of 3–5 bractlets (lengths less than 1/2 phyllaries).

of 2–5 linear bractlets (lengths to 1/3 phyllaries).

Heads

3–10 in corymbiform arrays (involucres weakly campanulate).

20–60+ in corymbiform or subpaniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

glabrous.

= 40. (A report of 2n = 46 is presumably erroneous.)

Senecio atratus

Phenology

Flowering fall (perhaps spring–summer).

Flowering late spring–early fall.

Habitat

Open sites, gypseous soils

Dry or drying, rocky or sandy sites in coniferous areas, especially sites with frequent disturbance

Elevation

800–1500 m (2600–4900 ft)

2800–4000 m (9200–13100 ft)

Distribution

NM; TX

[BONAP county map]

CO; NM; UT; WY

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Senecio warnockii is infrequently collected; additional study may show it to be an edaphic phase of S. flaccidus. The restriction to gypseous soils and the gross aspect combine to make it distinctive.

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

Source

FNA vol. 20, p. 559.

FNA vol. 20, p. 554.

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. sylvaticus, S. taraxacoides, S. triangularis, S. viscosus, S. vulgaris, S. wootonii

S. actinella, S. amplectens, S. ampullaceus, S. aphanactis, S. arizonicus, S. aronicoides, S. astephanus, 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

Synonyms

S. atratus var. milleflorus, S. milleflorus

Name authority

Shinners: Sida 1: 379. (1964)

Greene: Pittonia 3: 105. (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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Senecio warnockii

Senecio atratus

Senecio warnockii

Senecio atratus