Senecio bigelovii A. Gray
Family: Asteraceae
Nodding Ragwort
Senecio bigelovii image

Perennials, (20-)40-80(-120) cm (caudices fibrous-rooted). Herbage usually floccose-tomentose to glabrescent, sometimes glabrous. Stems single or loosely clustered. Leaves progressively reduced distally; petiolate (proximal); blades ovate to lanceolate, 7-15 × (1-)2-5 cm, bases contracted or tapered, margins subentire or serrate to dentate (mid and distal leaves similar, sessile, bractlike, often clasping). Heads nodding (especially when young), (1-)3-12(-20) in racemiform or paniculiform arrays (terminal heads often largest). Calyculi of 4-10 linear bractlets (lengths mostly 1 / 3 - 1 / 2 phyllaries, sometimes 1 or 2 equaling phyllaries). Phyllaries ± 13 or ± 21, 6-12 mm, tips green. Ray florets 0. Cypselae glabrous. 2n = 40.

The two varieties of Senecio bigelovii are distinguished by morphologic tendencies and by geography.

FNA 2006, Kearney and Peebles 1969, McDougall 1973

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Herbaceous to shrubby perennials to 1 m tall, stems slender to stout, singular or loosely clustered, the herbage glabrous to sparsely hispid or floccose-tomentose, plants uniformly leafy, the woody persistent base with fibrous roots.

Leaves: Alternate or basal, 3-13 cm long and up to 25 mm wide, ovate, lanceolate, oblong, or linear, margins serrate with gland-tipped teeth, the basal leaves petiolate, the upper ones reduced and sessile, bract-like, and clasping.

Flowers: Heads discoid, nodding, disk flowers yellow, involucres 8-10 mm high and 10-15 mm wide, cylindrical to hemispherical, row of outer bracts of 4-10 linear bractlets, irregularly arranged, these sometimes turning purple with age, phyllaries equal, broadly linear, sub-herbaceous with scarious margins and acute apices, occurring in a single series, heads borne on peduncles up to 6 cm long in upper axils and at stem tips, forming clusters of raceme-like or paniculiform arrays.

Fruits: Achenes terete, ribbed glabrous. Pappus of numerous, soft, white, capillary bristles with green tips, 6-12 mm long.

Ecology: Found in rich, moist soils, in coniferous forests and grassy hillsides, from 6,500-11,000 ft (1981-3353 m); flowering July-September.

Distribution: Arizona, New Mexico.

Notes: Good identifiers for this species are the alternate, petiolate or sessile leaves and the yellow, discoid, nodding heads.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Senecio is from senex, old man, which refers to the gray hairs on the seeds, while bigelovii is named for Dr. John Milton Bigelow (1804-1878) who collected under Whipple on the Pacific Railroad Survey of 1853-1854.

Synonyms: Ligularia bigelovii

Editor: LCrumbacher 2011

Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Photo ©Al Schneider, swcoloradowildflowers.com  
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image
Senecio bigelovii image