Ragwort - Packera (12)

In 1981 a number of the Senecio genus were moved to the Packera genus. Some authorities do not accept this, I have separated them but included both names. Ragworts, also commonly called Groundsels, have yellow daisy-like flowers with only a few ray flowers, usually in clusters. Leaves are basal or alternate on the stem. Ragworts grow in a variety of habitats and life zones, and hybridize, thus making identification difficult.

	Fendler's Ragwort Packera fendleri (Senecio fendleri) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Fendler's Senecio, Notchleaf Butterweed Photo taken on: May 27, 2006 Location: Taylor Canyon, Almont, CO Life Zones: Foothills to montane Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes Grows 4"-16" with stalked, toothed, dissected and wavy, grayish leaves. Flower-heads have only 6-8 ray flowers. The flower stalks are woolly where they attach to the main stem. The tips of the bracts surrounding the flower are red-tipped. Flora of North America reference.
	Woolly Groundsel Packera cana (Senecio canus) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Gray Ragwort, Woolly Butterweed Photo taken on: July 17, 2005 Location: Upper Lower Loop, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to alpine Habitat: Dry, open, rocky areas Grows to 8". Leaves are 2" long, woolly and lance to spoon- shaped. Flowers are large in comparison. Flora of North America reference.
	Two-leaved Groundsel Packera dimorphophylla (Senecio dimorphophyllus) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Different Groundsel, Splitleaf Groundsel Photo taken on: July 28, 2007 Location: Cottonwood Pass, GV, CO Life Zones: Subalpine to alpine Habitat: Moist meadows, tundra Grows to 8" with small, clasping, triangular stem leaves and oval, stalked basal leaves. Flora of North America reference.
	Lobeleaf Groundsel Packera multilobata (Senecio multilobatus) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Many-lobed Packera Photo taken on: April 27, 2015 Location: CR 142, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Foothills Habitat: Rocky, sandy soils, sagebrush, woodlands Grows up to 16" high with a few stems and distinctive, mostly basal, deeply divided leaves. Most heads have a fringe of yellow ray florets, but at times these can be absent. Blooms early. Flora of North America reference.
	Mancos Shale Packera Packera mancosana Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Photo taken on: June 10, 2007 Location: Waterfall Creek Trail, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to subalpine Habitat: Dry meadows, rocky areas Basal leaves are narrow, vertical and toothed at the tip. Stems and leaves are covered with cobwebby, matted hairs. I found this in swcoloradowildflowers. The description and photos match exactly but the location at about 10,000ft east of Crested Butte in Gunnison County is 140 crow miles from Mancos.
	New Mexico Groundsel Packera neomexicana var. mutabilis (Senecio mutabilis) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: New Mexico Butterweed Photo taken on: May 12, 2011 and May 30, 2016 Location: Cerro Grande, NM and Wet Mountains, CO Life Zones: Foothills to subalpine Habitat: Dry meadows, forest openings Grows to 20" with a few, small leaves on the stem. The stem and leaves can be woolly or not. Basal leaves can be narrow or oval shaped and are unevenly toothed. Flora of North America reference.
	Balsam Ragwort Packera paupercula (Senecio pauperculus) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Balsam Groundsel, Northern Ragwort Photo taken on: July 16, 2023 Location: Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, GV, CO Life Zones: Plains to foothills Habitat: Wet meadows, stream banks Grows to 18" with a slender, erect stem and mostly basal, stalked, toothed leaves. Stem leaves reduce in size and clasp the stem. Flowers are about ¾" across and have 0, 8 or 13 ray florets. Similar to P. platennsis, but that grows in dry areas and is cobwebby. Flora of North America reference.
	Prairie Ragwort Packera plattensis (Senecio plattensis) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Prairie Groundsel Photo taken on: June 18, 2007 Location: Almont, CO Life Zones: Plains to foothills Habitat: Dry areas Grows to 20" with cobwebby stems and fleshy, lyre shaped leaves. Flora of North America reference.
	Falsegold Groundsel Packera pseudaurea (Senecio pseudaureus) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Streambank Groundsel, Western Heart-leaved Groundsel Photo taken on: July 15, 2010 Location: Lily Lake Trail, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to subalpine Habitat: Moist meadows and woods, stream banks Grows to 2ft with a flat-topped cluster of flowers. The mostly basal rounded leaves have long stalks and are shallowly toothed. The few stem leaves are sharply toothed and clasping. Flora of North America reference.
	Rocky Mountain Groundsel Packera streptanthifolia (Senecio streptanthifolius) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Rocky Mountain Butterweed Photo taken on: June 6, 2007 Location: Taylor Canyon, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to montane Habitat: Rocky areas, woodlands Grows to 2ft with shallowly toothed, oval to oblong, basal leaves on long stalks. Flora of North America reference.
	Three-toothed Ragwort Packera tridenticulata (Senecio tridenticulata) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Photo taken on: June 6, 2007 Location: Taylor Canyon, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to montane Habitat: Meadows Grows to 2ft with three-toothed basal leaves. Flora of North America reference.
	Hoary Groundsel Packera werneriifolia (Senecio werneriifolius) Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) AKA: Rocky Senecio, Rock Groundsel Photo taken on: July 16, 2006 Location: Green Lake - Irwin, GV, CO Life Zones: Subalpine to alpine Habitat: Rocky areas, talus Grows in mats to 6" with thick, narrow basal leaves and hairy stems. Flora of North America reference.

Yellow Round Clusters