[Butterweeds and Groundsels with Discoid Flower Heads: The Genus Senecio East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Sweet Marsh Groundsel, Stout Meadow Groundsel, Tall Groundsel
Senecio hydrophiloides
Synonyms: Senecio foetidus, Senecio foetidus var. foetidus, Senecio foetidus var. hydrophiloides, Senecio oreganus
The photo above shows a close-up of the closely-spaced flower heads of sweet-marsh butterweed as seen at Conboy NWR.........June 18, 2006. Note that the flowers are all discoid.
Characteristics:
Sweet marsh groundsel is an erect stemmed wildflower, with one
to several stems arising from 30-100 cm in height. Its herbage is smooth, with
thick succulent leaves that are elliptic or widely oblanceolate in outline.
The lower leaves range from 6-25 cm long and 2-7 cm wide. The upper leaves become
sessile and reduced in size.
The numerous flower heads are found in a tight inflorescence.
The involucre of each head is 6-9 mm high with black-tipped bracts. The heads
typically lack ray flowers, although it is possible the head may have as many
as 5 yellowish rays. If the rays are present, they are about 8 mm long.
Habitat:
Sweet marsh groundsel is found in wet meadows from the foothills
into the mountains.
Range:
Sweet marsh groundsel is found from southern British Columbia
southeast of the Cascade Mts to central and northeastern Oregon, and then east
across central Idaho to Fremont County, Idaho.
The photo above shows a close-up of one flowerhead of sweet-marsh butterweed as seen at Conboy NWR.........June 18, 2006. Note the dark tip to the bracts.
The photo above shows a close-up of the toothed margin of a stem leaf of sweet-marsh butterweed as seen along Kreps Lane in Conboy NWR on the southeastern slopes of Mt. Adams.........June 18, 2006.
The photo above shows the inflorescence of sweet marsh groundsel in meadows about a mile west of Penland Lake in the Umatilla N.F. to the southeast of Heppner, OR..........June 22, 2007.
Paul Slichter