Subfamily Asteroideae Higher classification Ragworts | Tribe Senecioneae Rank Species | |
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Similar Ragworts, Daisy family, Senecio triangularis, Senecio elegans, Senecio tamoides | ||
Senecio flaccidus, formerly recorded as Senecio douglasii (in honor of the botanist David Douglas) member of the daisy family and genus Senecio also known as threadleaf ragwort (and threadleaf groundsel, bush senecio, creek senecio, shrubby butterweed, comb butterweed, smooth threadleaf ragwort, Mono ragwort, Douglas ragwort, Douglas groundsel, sand wash groundsel, felty groundsel, old man, yerba cana, squawweed or cenicillo) is a native of the southwestern Great Plains of North America.
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Description
Threadleaf ragwort is a fast-growing, short-lived (3 to 6 years) bushy perennial shrub growing to 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m); common in gravelly washes, dry creek beds, along roads and trails and mostly away from the coast.
Toxicity
Colonizing disturbed areas including over-grazed lands, Senecio flaccidus helps to achieve a quick ground cover and helps to stabilize the soil for longer-lived perennials but in this situation makes poor foraging for cattle and horses due to the alkaloids contained in the plant which cause liver disease when consumed in large quantities.
Also known as Senecio longilobus, one of the alkaloids found in this species is longilobine, as well as senecionine, seneciphylline, florosenine, otonecine-based florosenine, and retrorsine.
Distribution
Like many Senecio Senecio flaccidus likes disturbed habitats, this one preferring overgrazed rangelands, dried up stream beds and desert grasslands; at altitudes above 1,800 feet (550 m) and below 6,500 feet (2,000 m).
Native
AmericaNorth-Central: Kansas, OklahomaNorthwestern: ColoradoSouth-Central: New Mexico, TexasSouthwestern: Arizona, UtahNorthern Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, San Luis PotosÃ, Sonora, ZacatecasCentral Mexico: Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco (n.e.), VeracruzCurrent
AmericaNorth-Central: Kansas, Oklahoma, WyomingNorthwestern: ColoradoSouth-Central: New Mexico, TexasSouthwestern: Arizona, California, Nevada, UtahNorthern Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, San Luis PotosÃ, Sonora, Zacatecas, Baja CaliforniaCentral Mexico: Aguascalientes, Baja Norte, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco (n.e.), Veracruz