Mountain Meadow Butterweed, Mountain Meadow Groundsel, Thickleaf Ragwort, Thick-leaved Groundsel
Senecio crassulus
Synonym: Senecio crassulus var. cusickii
Mountain Meadow Groundsel is an herbaceous, perennial wildflower with several stems arising 20-70 cm high from a branched, woody base. The herbage is mostly glabrous. The thickish leaves are largest at the base, but are relatively large up to mid stem (where they may be largest in size) where they become progressively reduced in size. The basal and lower stem leaves are petiolate while the upper leaves become sessile and clasping. The largest leaf blades vary from 2.5-12 cm long and from 1-5 cm wide. The margins range from entire to sharply toothed.
The several (rarely one) flower heads form an open corymb with the terminal head slightly if at all overtopped by the others. The involucre is 5-9 mm high with the disk from 5-15 mm wide. 12-15 fleshy involucral bracts are present, each often with a blackish tip. The 8 (Occasionaly 5 or 13 ray flowers may be present.) yellowish ray flowers are 6-13 mm long.
Mountain meadow groundsel is found in dry to moist soils in open woods, meadows and other open places from the foothills to high elevations in the mountains.
Mountain meadow groundsel is found from eastern Oregon east to southwestern Montana, and South Dakota and south to New Mexico and Utah.
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