Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


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Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

49. Asteraceae, the Aster Family

14. Senecio L. -- Ragwort

2. Senecio pseudaureus Rydb.

Perennial 2-5 dm tall, from a very short rhizome or caudex; stems solid, single or few clustered, glabrous or with only bits of tomentum in the leaf axils when young. Leaves changing in shape from the base upward on the stem; basal leaves with long slender petioles, the blades ovate, oval or suborbicular, 1-5 cm long, 0.8-4 cm wide, often purplish beneath, crenate, rounded to truncate or cordate at the base, transitional to the cauline leaves which are sessile, oblong to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2-6 cm long, 0.4-2 cm wide, laciniate-pinnatifid at least toward the base, often clasping. Heads few to many, in a single terminal cluster, 1-1.5 cm across; involucre 4-7 mm high, the bracts herbaceous; rays pale yellow, 6-10 mm long. Achenes 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous; pappus slightly exceeding the disk corollas with age. Late May--Jun. Fresh wet meadows, fens and low prairie; occasional from n and e ND to e NE, also the Black Hills and nw NE; (MN to Sask. and B.C., s to MO, KS, NM and CA). S. aureus L.

Plants of this region belong to var. semicordatus (Mack. & Bush) T. M. Barkley.

Previous Section -- Senecio congestus (R.Br.) DC. -- Swamp ragwort
Return to Family -- Asteraceae - The Aster Family
Next Section -- Silphium perfoliatum L. -- Cup plant

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Menlo Park, CA [caww55]