Butterweeds and Groundsels Found in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Bolander's Butterweed, Bolander's Groundsel, Bolander's Ragwort, Harford's Ragwort: Packera bolanderi var. harfordii (Synonyms: Senecio bolanderi var. harfordii, Seneio harfordii) - Basal and lower stem leaves roundeded with shallow, palmate lobes.

Falsegold Groundsel, Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea (Synonyms: Synonyms: Senecio pseudaureus ssp. pseudaureus, Senecio pseudaureus var. pseudaureus) - An erect wildflower to 70 cm with thin leaves. The basal leaves are long-petiolate, cordate, with serrate margins. The stem leaves are few, reduced in size, and laciniate toward the bases, with cleft margins. The flower heads are yellow, with both disk and ray flowers.

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) - Flower heads generally solitary. Plants up to 10 cm high.

Sweet Marsh Groundsel, Tall Butterweed: Senecio hydrophiloides (Synonyms: Senecio foetidus var. foetidus , Senecio foetidus var. foetidus, Senecio foetidus var. hydrophiloides, Senecio oreganus) - Stems are erect and the herbage is glabrous or at least not glaucous. Leaves and stems not fleshy. Flowers all discoid, ray flowers generally lacking.

Alkali Marsh Butterweed, Alkai Marsh Ragwort, Great Swamp Groundsel, Water Groundsel: Senecio hydrophilus (Synonym: Senecio hydrophilus var. pacifica) - Stems are erect and the herbage is glaucous. The stems and leaves are both smooth and somewhat fleshy. The leaves are mostly entire. The flower heads are yellow, with disk flowers, but ray flowers may be absent.

Lambstongue Groundsel, Tall Western Butterweed, Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus (Synonyms: Senecio integerrimus var. vaseyi, Senecio vaseyi) - An erect wildflower with a single stem. The yellow flower heads have both ray and disk flowers. Many spoon-shaped basal leaves are found at the base of the plant, with reduced stem leaves. The basal leaves tend to oblanceolate or elliptic in shape.

Pale Yellow Ragwort, Western Groundsel, White Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. ochroleucus (Synonyms: Senecio integerrimus ssp. ochroleucus, Senecio lugens var. ochroleuchus) - An erect wildflower with a single stem. The creamy white flower heads have both ray and disk flowers. Many spoon-shaped basal leaves are found at the base of the plant, with reduced stem leaves. The basal leaves tend to be deltoid or subcordate.

Tansy Ragwort: Senecio jacobaea - An erect wildflower with numerous yellow flower heads with both ray and disk flowers up to 100 cm high. The leaves are finely cut, similar to those of tansy.

Butterweed Groundsel, Tall Butterweed, Tall Ragwort: Senecio serra var. serra (Synonyms: Senecio andinus, Senecio lanceolatus, Senecio millikenii, Senecio serra var. altior, Senecio solidago) - Stems noticeably leafy, the leaves greater than 4 cm long. Leaves linear to lanceolate, petiolate and with serrate margins. Plants with many stems and usually over 50 cm high. Numerous flower heads at top of plant, yellow, with both disk and ray flowers present.

Woods Groundsel: Senecio sylvaticus - A short-haired weedy annual similar to common butterweed but with the main stem branched and from 30-90 cm high. The grayish leaves are lanceolate, deeply toothed to lobed. The rays are short and often inconspicuous.

Arrowleaf Groundsel, Arrow-leaf Groundsel, Arrowleaf Ragwort: Senecio triangularis (Synonyms: Senecio triangularis var. angustifolius) - A tall wildflower of moist areas in the foothills and mountains. Numerous, soft, green arrowhead shaped leaves along the entire stem. The numerous flower heads are yellow, with both disk and ray flowers present.

Common Butterweed: Senecio vulgaris - Small, low-growing, weedy annual or winter annuals to 30 cm high. Flowers all discoid, ray flowers lacking. Involucral bracts tipped with black spots. Leaves pinnatifid.