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

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed

Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea

Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)Characteristics:

Streambank butterweed is a fibrous-rooted perennial arising 30-70 cm from a rhizome. It is at first slightly covered with loose, tangled hairs, but soon the herbage is smooth or glabrous. The basal leaves are thin, serrate margined, long-petioled, and with bases tending to be cordate, subcordate, or truncate. The stem leaves are few and reduced in size upwards on the stem. The stem leaves are noticeably serrate margined, with the blade narrowing towards the base with deeply incised margins.

The flower heads are few to numerous, with the disk usually 8-13 mm wide and the yellow rays 6-10 mm long. The involucre is 5-8 mm tall.

Habitat:

Moderate to high elevation streambanks and other wet areas in the mountains.

Range:

Streambank butterweed is found from British Columbia south to California, and east to Saskatchewan and New Mexico.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it is found from 2200-2400' and from approximately between Wind Mt. and the Klickitat River.

Stem leaves of Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)

The photo above shows stem leaves of streambank butterweed, with the uppermost leaf from higher on the stem than the lower one. Note that the bases of the stem leaves cut deeply toward the midvein, leaving numerous narrow lobes.

Basal leaf of Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)

The photo above shows a close-up of a basal leaf of streambank butterweed. Note that the basal leaves are truncate (cut abruptly to the stem) at their base and are long petiolate.

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)

Senecio pseudaureus from Hunter Prairie, near Bear Springs RS, Mt. Hood NF.....5-28-94.

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus)

Senecio pseudaureus from McGowan meadows, Major Creek Plateau, Columbia River Gorge......6-26-99.
Paul Slichter