[Groundsels and Butterweeds: The Genera Packera and Senecio in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Alpine Meadow Butterweed, Cleftleaf Groundsel, Few-leaved Groundsel, Rocky Mountain Butterweed, Rocky Mountain Butterweed

Packera streptanthifolia

Synonyms: Senecio cymbalarioides, Senecio cymbalarioides var. suksdorfii, Senecio leonardii, Senecio streptanthifolius, Senecio streptanthifolius var. laetiflorus, Senecio streptanthifolius var. wallowensis

Alpine Meadow Butterweed, Cleftleaf Groundsel, Few-leaved Groundsel, Rocky Mountain Butterweed, Rocky Mountain Butterweed: Packera streptanthifolia (Synonyms: Senecio cymbalarioides, Senecio cymbalarioides var. suksdorfii, Senecio leonardii, Senecio streptanthifolius, Senecio streptanthifolius var. laetiflorus, Senecio streptanthifolius var. wallowensis)

The photo above shows a view of the involucral bracts of alpine meadow butterweed as seen in wetlands at Swampy Meadows at the southwestern corner of Mt. Adams .............. August 2004.

The photo at right shows a sideview of a flower head of alpine meadow butterweed. The photo was taken at Swampy Meadows at the southwestern corner of Mt. Adams .............. August 2004.

Characteristics:

Alpine meadow butterweed is a delightful, low growing perennial wildflower with one to several erect stems rsing from 10-50 cm high. Although sometimes somewhat tomentose when young, older plants are generally hairless. The basal leaves are long petiolate with wide, thick blades of elliptical to somewhat rounded outline. The margins range from entire to lined with rounded teeth or shallow lobes. The stem leaves are few in number and reduced in size along the stem. The lower stem leaves have short petioles with pinnatifid blades while the upper leaves are bract-like with entire margins.

The few to many flower heads are arranged in an open cyme. The 12 to 20 involucral bracts range from 5-7 mm tall. The yellowish disk ranges from 8-14 mm wide. The yellow rays number approximately a dozen and range from 6-12 mm long.

Habitat:

Alpine meadow butterweed is a plant of moist to moderately dry meadows and open forests from subalpine to alpine areas.

Range:

Alpine meadow butterweed may be found from the Yukon south through the Pacific Northwest to California and east to the Northwest Territories and south through the Rocky Mts. to New Mexico.

In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 3800'-4000' between Indian Mt. and Mt. Defiance.

The photo above shows the lowermost pair of stem leaves of alpine meadow butterweed. Photographed at Swampy Meadows at the southwestern corner of Mt. Adams .............. August 2004. Note the long petioles and toothed margins. The acute teeth point forwards and are largely found at the distal margin of the blade.

The photo above shows alpine meadow butterweed in moist wetlands at Swampy Meadows at the southwestern corner of Mt. Adams .............. August 2004.

Paul Slichter