Senecio mohavensis
Senecio mohavensis, known by the common name Mojave ragwort, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family.[1][2]
| Senecio mohavensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Senecio |
| Species: | S. mohavensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Senecio mohavensis | |
Distribution
The annual herb is native to the Mojave Desert in California, northwestern Arizona, and southwestern Nevada (southwestern United States); and to the Sonoran Desert in California and Arizona, and Baja California and Sonora (northwestern Mexico).[3]
It grows in sandy and rocky habitats, often in Creosote bush scrub.
Description
Senecio mohavensis produces a single branching erect stem up to 30 or 40 centimeters in maximum height from a twisted taproot. It is mostly hairless and green to purple in color.
The leaves have lobed or toothed blades a few centimeters long, the lower on short petioles and those higher on the plant with wide bases that clasp the stem.
The inflorescence is a spreading array of several flower heads filled with yellow disc florets, typically numbering between 15 and 30.[4] Some heads have tiny ray florets that may be tucked out of view within the phyllaries. The phyllaries are typically green, hairless, mostly fused, and measure about a third of an inch.[4] The bloom period is March to May, and the plant's toxicity is Minor Dermatitis. [5]
References
- "Senecio mohavensis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- Flora of North America: Senecio mohavensis
- SEINet, Arizona−New Mexico Chapter: Senecio mohavensis (Mojave ragwort)
- Southwest, The American. "Mojave Ragwort, Senecio Mohavensis". www.americansouthwest.net. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
- "Calflora: Senecio mohavensis". www.calflora.org. Retrieved 2018-06-15.