Senecio hydrophiloides Rydb.
sweet-marsh butterweed (tall groundsel)
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Ryan Batten     (Photo ID #66855)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Senecio hydrophiloides
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a fibrous root; stems erect, solitary to several, branched above, glabrous, 0.3-1 m tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves thickish, somewhat succulent, elliptic or broadly oblanceolate, stalked, sharply toothed, 12-35 cm long including the stalks, 2-7 cm wide, glabrous; stem leaves similar, progressively reduced upwards, becoming unstalked and lanceolate.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, several in an open or clustered inflorescence; involucres 5-10 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, with long-pointed, conspicuously black tips; bracteoles few, black-tipped; ray flowers yellow, 1-8 or sometimes lacking, 5-10 mm long; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes oblong, nerved, glabrous; pappus of white hairlike bristles.
Notes:
The two weak varieties previously recognized by Douglas (1982) and Douglas et al. (1989) and others have recently been merged by Barkley (1994). The latter treatment has been followed here.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer
Source:  The USDA

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Senecio hydrophiloides

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1159 730 1540
Slope Gradient (%)
9 0 24

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

109 60 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 1 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
6
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

ICH(2), IDF(1), MS(1), PP(1), SBPS(1)

Habitat and Range

Wet to moist meadows and forest openings in the montane and lower subalpine zones; rare in SE BC; E to AB and S to ID and OR.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Senecio foetidus J.T. Howell
Senecio foetidus var. foetidus
Senecio foetidus var. hydrophiloides (Rydb.) T.M. Barkley ex Cronquist
Senecio pereziifolius Rydb.