Senecio

Senecio greyi, from here.

Belongs within: Asteroideae.

Senecio, the groundsels, is a large genus of composite-flowered plants found worldwide. Some species are significant as invasive pasture weeds, such as the toxic ragwort S. jacobaea. The fireweed S. madagascariensis, native to Africa, is potentially a serious pasture weed in Australia, but control has been complicated by taxonomic confusion between S. madagascariensis and native Australian species of the S. lautus complex (Scott et al. 1998). The type species of the genus is the common groundsel S. vulgaris, whose inflorescences lack ray florets and have the disc florets inconspicuous and largely hidden by the bracts.

Characters (from Black & Robertson 1965): Herbs with alternate leaves; heads usually in terminal corymbs. Involucre cylindrical or rarely campanulate, of equal bracts in one row, usually with a few small ones at base; receptacle naked; disc-flowers tubular, bisexual, five-toothed; ray-flowers either female ligulate in one row, or female filiform, with very reduced ligules, in two to three rows, or all flowers tubular, discoid; achenes terete and striate; pappus of numerous white capillary silky caducous bristles.

<==Senecio Linnaeus 1753 [Senecioninae] A61
    |--S. sect. Adamantina Cabrera 1950 TNS09
    |    |--S. (sect. *Adamantina) adamantinus Bong. 1838 TNS09
    |    |--S. albus Nakajima & Teles in Teles, Nakajima & Stehmann 2009 TNS09
    |    |--S. caparaoensis TNS09
    |    |--S. colpodes TNS09
    |    |--S. dumetorum TNS09
    |    |--S. gertii Zardini 1979 TNS09
    |    |--S. graciellae TNS09
    |    `--S. pseudostigophlebius TNS09
    |--S. sect Aetheolena C61
    |    |--S. cuencanus C61
    |    |--S. doryphyllus Cuatrecasas 1961 C61
    |    |--S. longipenicillatus C61
    |    `--S. patens C61
    `--S. (sect. Crociseris ser. Nemorenses) kuanshanensis Peng & Chung in Chung & Peng 2002 CP02

Senecio incertae sedis:
  *S. vulgaris LM98
  S. acanthifolius D03
  S. adamsii Cheeseman 1896 [incl. S. pachyphyllus Cheeseman 1884 non S. pachyphyllos Remy in Gay 1849] A61
  S. albopurpureus O88
  S. andersoni D03
  S. anethifolius BR65
  S. antipodus Kirk 1899 A61
  S. aphanactis H93
  S. aquaticus C06
  S. argenteus D03
  S. aronicoides H93
  S. aschenborneanus BT87
  S. astephanus H93
  S. aureus A16
  S. australis Willdenow 1803 BR65
  S. banksii Hooker 1853 A61 (see below for synonymy)
  S. behrianus BR65
  S. bennettii Simpson & Thomson 1942 A61
  S. bellidioides Hooker 1853 (see below for synonymy) A61
  S. bernardinus H93
  S. bidwillii Hooker 1853 [incl. Olearia rigida Colenso 1888] A61
    |--S. b. var. bidwillii A61
    `--S. b. var. viridis Cheeseman 1906 [=S. viridis Kirk 1899 non Phil. 1891] A61
  S. bifistulosus Hooker 1853 A61
  S. biligulatus O88
  S. biserratus Belcher 1956 ME70, A61
  S. blochmaniae H93
  S. bolanderi H93
  S. brachyglossus BR65
  S. breweri H93
  S. buchii J87
  S. bullatus C61
  S. burchellii SCP98
  S. californicus [incl. S. ammophilus] H93
  S. cambrensis RS98
  S. candicans RJ11
  S. candolleanus O88
  S. canescens R96
  S. canus H93
  S. carnosulus LM98 (see below for synonymy)
  S. cassinioides Hooker 1864 A61
  S. chilensis D03
  S. chionaspis MM96
  S. × christensenii Cockayne 1917 [S. bellidioides × S. monroi] A61
  S. chrysanthemoides O88
  S. clarkianus H93
  S. clevelandii [incl. S. clevelandii var. heterophylla non S. heterophylla Colenso 1895] H93
  S. cockaynei Simpson & Thomson 1942 A61
  S. colensoi Hooker 1853 A61
    |--S. c. var. colensoi A61
    `--S. c. var. lobulatus Allan 1961 A61
  S. compactus Kirk 1880 A61
  S. constanzae J87
  S. cruentus MH98
  S. cunninghamii BR65
  S. cymbalarioides H93
  S. cymosus D03
  S. danyausii D03
  S. diversifolius O88
  S. doronicum R00
  S. dryadeus Sieb. 1826 [incl. S. australis Richard 1832 non Willdenow 1803] BR65
  S. elaeagnifolius Hooker 1853 (see below for synonymy) A61
  S. elegans BR65
  S. engleranus CV06
  S. eurycephalus H93
    |--S. e. var. eurycephalus H93
    `--S. e. var. lewisrosei H93
  S. favillosus Cuatrecasas 1961 C61
  S. flaccidus H93
    |--S. f. var. flaccidus H93
    |--S. f. var. douglasii [incl. S. douglasii var. tularensis] H93
    `--S. f. var. monoensis H93
  S. flavus H93
  S. folidentatus C61
  S. fremontii H93
    |--S. f. var. fremontii H93
    `--S. f. var. occidentalis H93
  S. funckii C61
  S. gallicus R35
  S. ganderi H93
  S. georgianus BR65
    |--S. g. var. georgianus BR65
    `--S. g. var. latifolius BR65
  S. giessii CV06
  S. glaucophyllus Cheeseman 1896 [incl. S. lautus var. montanus Cheeseman 1906] A61
    |--S. g. ssp. glaucophyllus A61
    |--S. g. ssp. basinudus Ornduff 1960 A61
    |--S. g. ssp. discoideus (Cheeseman) Ornduff 1960 [=S. lautus var. discoideus Cheeseman 1906] A61
    `--S. g. ssp. raoulii (Hooker) Ornduff 1960 [=S. lautus var. raoulii Hooker 1853] A61
  S. glomeratus Desf. ex Poiret in Lam. 1817 A61
  S. glossanthus G04
  S. graciliflorus O88
  S. greenei H93
  S. gregorii BR65
  S. greyi Hooker 1853 A61
  S. haastii Hooker 1864 A61
  S. harrietae Cuatrecasas 1961 C61
  S. harveianus SCP98
  S. hectori Buchan. 1873 A61
  S. hermannii CV06
  S. hispidulus [=Erechtites hispidula] BR65
  S. hotteanus J87
  S. huntii Muell. 1864 A61
  S. hybridus H93
  S. hydrophiloides [=S. foetidus var. hydrophiloides; incl. S. foetidus] H93
  S. hydrophilus H93
  S. hypoleucus [incl. S. odoratus var. petiolatus] BR65
  S. inaequidens SCP98
  S. incanus C55a
  S. indecorus [incl. S. pauciflorus var. fallax] H93
  S. integerrimus H93
    |--S. i. var. integerrimus H93
    |--S. i. var. exaltatus H93
    |--S. i. var. major H93 [=S. brachyglossus var. major BR65]
    `--S. i. var. ochroleucus H93
  S. ionophyllus H93
  S. jacobaea [incl. S. dimorphocarpos Col. 1894] C06
  S. kirkii Hooker ex Kirk 1899 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--S. k. var. kirkii A61
    `--S. k. var. angustior Allan 1961 A61
  S. kunthianus O88
  S. lagopus Raoul 1844 A61
  S. lapidosus Cheeseman 1916 A61
  S. lautus Forst. f. ex Willd. 1804 A69 [incl. S. angustifolius C06]
    |  i. s.: S. l. var. pilosus BR65
    |--S. l. ssp. lautus A69
    |--S. l. ssp. alpinus Ali 1969 A69
    |--S. l. ssp. dissectifolius Ali 1969 (see below for synonymy) A69
    |--S. l. ssp. lanceolatus (Benth.) Ali 1969 [=S. lautus var. lanceolatus Benth. 1866] A69
    `--S. l. ssp. maritimus Ali 1969 [incl. S. spathulatus Rich. 1834] A69
  S. laxifolius Buchan. 1870 [=S. laxiflorus ms] A61
  S. layneae H93
  S. lyallii Hooker 1853 A61
  S. lyonii H93
  S. macounii [incl. S. ligulifolius] H93
  S. madagascariensis SCP98
  S. magnificus BR65
  S. marotiri LM98
  S. matthewsii Petrie 1924 A61
  S. megaglossus BR65
  S. megaphyllum MM96
  S. mikanioides Otto ex Walp. in Otto & Dietr. 1845 C06 [incl. S. scandens BR65]
  S. mixta BR65
  S. mohavensis H93
  S. monroi Hooker 1855 A61
    |--S. m. var. monroi A61
    `--S. m. var. elongatus Allan 1961 A61
  S. morrisonensis CP02
  S. multicaulis Richard 1834 BR65
    |--S. m. var. multicaulis BR65
    |--S. m. var. dissecta BR65
    `--S. m. var. microcephala BR65
  S. multilobatus [incl. S. stygius] H93
  S. myrianthos Cheeseman 1875 [incl. S. cheesemanii Hooker 1877] A61
  S. nemorensis R00
  S. odoratus Hornemann 1815 A61
    |--S. o. var. odoratus BR65
    `--S. o. var. obtusifolius BR65 [=S. colensoi var. obtusifolius Allan 1961 A61]
  S. orarius BR65
  S. otites B06
  S. paludosus R00
  S. palustris C55a
  S. patagonicus SB06
  S. pattersonensis H93
  S. pauciflorus H93
  S. pectioides C61
  S. pellucidus SCP98
  S. perdicioides Hooker 1853 [incl. S. multinerve Colenso 1893, S. tripetaloides Colenso 1899] A61
    |--S. p. var. perdicioides A61
    `--S. p. var. distinctus (Colenso) Kirk 1899 [=S. distinctus Colenso 1895] A61
  S. persicaefolius Ramond 1800 R00
  S. picardae J87
  S. platylepis BR65
  S. × pottsii Armst. 1872 A61
  S. praecox B06
  S. pseudaureus [incl. S. pauciflorus var. jucundulus] H93
  S. pterophorus BR65
    |--S. p. var. pterophorus BR65
    |--S. p. var. apterus BR65
    `--S. p. var. verus BR65
  S. purpuratus D03
  S. quadridentatus Labill. 1806 BR65, A61 [=Erechtites quadridentata (Labill.) DC. 1838 A61]
    |--S. q. var. quadridentatus A61
    |--‘Erechtites’ quadridentata var. lanceola Kirk 1899 A61
    `--‘Erechtites’ quadridentata var. traversii Allan 1961 A61
  S. radiolatus Muell. 1864 [=S. lautus var. radiolatus (Muell.) Kirk 1899] A61
  S. ramosus O88
  S. reinoldii Endl. 1836 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--S. r. var. reinoldii A61
    `--S. r. var. ambiguus (Cheeseman) Allan 1961 [=S. rotundifolius var. ambiguus Cheeseman 1925] A61
  S. remotifolius Petrie 1924 A61
  S. repangae de Lange & Murray 1998 LM98
    |--S. r. ssp. repangae LM98
    `--S. r. ssp. pokohinuensis de Lange & Murray 1998 LM98
  S. revolutus Kirk 1899 [incl. S. robustus Buchan. 1874 non Sch. Bip. 1845] A61
  S. romeroi Cuatrecasas 1961 C61
  S. rufiglandulosus Colenso 1896 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--S. r. var. rufiglandulosus A61 [=S. latifolius var. rufiglandulosus C06]
    |--S. r. var. sinuatifolius (Kirk) Allan 1961 (see below for synonymy) A61
    `--S. r. var. solandri (Allan) Allan 1961 (see below for synonymy) A61
  S. rugosus Cuatrecasas 1961 C61
  S. runcinifolius Willis 1952 (see below for synonymy) BR65
  S. salignus MM96
  S. sarracenicus C55b
  S. saxifragoides Hooker 1853 A61
  S. scaberulus LM98 (see below for synonymy)
    |--S. s. var. scaberulus A61
    `--‘Erechtites’ scaberula var. chathamica Allan 1961 A61
  S. sciadophilus Raoul 1844 A61
  S. scorzonella [incl. S. covillei] H93
  S. scorzoneroides Hooker 1853 [=S. lyallii var. scorzoneroides (Hooker) Kirk 1899] A61
  S. serra H93
  S. skirrhodon SCP98
  S. smithii D03
  S. southlandicus Cockayne 1915 A61
    |--S. s. var. southlandicus A61
    `--S. s. var. albidulus Allan 1961 A61
  S. spartioides H93
  S. spedenii Petrie 1924 A61
  S. squalidus RS98 [incl. S. chrysanthemifolius C55b]
  S. stenodon J87
  S. sterquilinus Ornduff 1960 [incl. S. lautus var. macrocephalus Hooker 1853] A61
  S. stewartiae Armst. 1881 [incl. S. muelleri Kirk 1883] A61
  S. streptanthifolius H93
  S. subarachnoideus C61
  S. sylvaticus [incl. S. areolatus Colenso 1894] C06
  S. taitungensis CP02
  S. tarokoensis CP02
  S. topkegolensis O88
  S. traversii Muell. 1861 [incl. S. cochlearis Simpson & Thomson 1942] A61
  S. triangularis H93
  S. trifurcatus D03
  S. trineurus J87
  S. triodon D03
  S. turneri Cheeseman 1911 A61
  S. vernalis Waldst. & Kit. 1800 PL04
  S. werneriaefolius [incl. S. muirii] H93
  S. windhoekensis CV06

Nomen nudum: Senecio dusenii Hoffm. in Dusén 1903 D03

Senecio banksii Hooker 1853 A61 [incl. S. pumiceus var. angustatus Kirk 1899 non S. bellidioides var. angustatus Kirk 1899 A61, S. banksii var. angustatus C06, S. pumiceus Colenso 1899 A61, S. banskii var. scabrosus A61, S. banksii var. velleia A61]

Senecio bellidioides Hooker 1853 [incl. S. bellidioides var. angustatus Kirk 1899, S. angustatus (Kirk) Cockayne & Sledge 1932, S. bellidioides var. crassus Simpson & Thomson 1943, S. bellidioides var. glabratus Kirk 1899, S. bellidioides var. orbiculatus Simpson & Thomson 1942, S. bellidioides var. setosus Simpson & Thomson 1942] A61

Senecio carnosulus LM98 [=S. lautus var. carnosulus Kirk 1899 A61, S. lautus ssp. carnosulus (Kirk) Ornduff 1960 A61]

Senecio elaeagnifolius Hooker 1853 [incl. S. buchananii Armst. 1879, S. elaeagnifolius var. buchananii (Armst.) Kirk 1899] A61

Senecio kirkii Hooker ex Kirk 1899 [incl. Solidago arborescens Cunn. 1839 non Forster 1786, S. glastifolius Hooker 1853 non Linn. f. 1781, S. neo-zeylandicus Druce 1917] A61

Senecio lautus ssp. dissectifolius Ali 1969 [incl. S. capillifolius Hook. f. in Hook. 1847, S. carnulentus DC. 1837, S. crithmifolius Rich. 1834, S. endlicheri DC. 1837, S. neglectus Rich. 1832, S. pinnatifolius Rich. 1834] A69

Senecio reinoldii Endl. 1836 [incl. S. puffinii Allan ex Rehder 1946, Brachyglottis rotundifolia Forster & Forster 1776, Cineraria rotundifolia Forster 1786, Senecio rotundifolius Hooker 1853 non Stokes 1812] A61

Senecio rufiglandulosus Colenso 1896 [=S. rufiglandulosis, S. solandri var. rufiglandulosus (Colenso) Allan 1961] A61

Senecio rufiglandulosus var. sinuatifolius (Kirk) Allan 1961 [=S. latifolius var. sinuatifolius Kirk 1899, S. solandri var. sinuatifolius (Kirk) Allan 1961] A61

Senecio rufiglandulosus var. solandri (Allan) Allan 1961 [=S. solandri Allan 1935; incl. S. latifolius Banks & Sol. ex Hooker 1853 non DC. 1838] A61

Senecio runcinifolius Willis 1952 [incl. Erechtites picridoides Sonder & von Mueller 1852 non Turczaninow 1851] BR65

Senecio scaberulus LM98 [=Erechtites scaberula Hooker 1864 A61, S. hispidulus var. scaberulus Belcher 1956 A61; incl. E. pumila Armst. 1881 A61]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

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[A69] Ali, S. I. 1969. Senecio lautus complex in Australia V. Taxonomic interpretations. Australian Journal of Botany 17: 161–176.

[A61] Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand vol. 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. R. E. Owen, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).

[BT87] Baker, E. W., & D. M. Tuttle. 1987. The false spider mites of Mexico (Tenuipalpidae: Acari). United States Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin 1706: 1–237.

[B06] Berzosa, J. 2006. Some new Neotropical species of Frankliniella Karny in the Senckenberg collection, Frankfurt am Main (Germany) (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 86 (1): 55–74.

[BR65] Black, J. M., & E. L. Robertson. 1965. Flora of South Australia. Part IV. Oleaceae–Compositae. W. L. Hawes, Government Printer: Adelaide.

[C55a] Candolle, A. de. 1855a. Géographie Botanique Raisonée: Ou exposition des faits principaux et des lois concernant la distribution géographique des plantes de l’époque actuelle vol. 1. Librairie de Victor Masson: Paris.

[C55b] Candolle, A. de. 1855b. Géographie Botanique Raisonée: Ou exposition des faits principaux et des lois concernant la distribution géographique des plantes de l’époque actuelle vol. 2. Librairie de Victor Masson: Paris.

[C06] Cheeseman, T. F. 1906. Manual of the New Zealand Flora. John Mackay, Government Printer: Wellington.

[CP02] Chung, S.-W., & C.-I. Peng. 2002. Senecio kuanshanensis (Asteraceae), a new species from southern Taiwan. Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 43: 155–159.

[CV06] Craven, P., & P. Vorster. 2006. Patterns of plant diversity and endemism in Namibia. Bothalia 36 (2): 175–189.

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[ME70] Moore, L. B., & E. Edgar. 1970. Flora of New Zealand vol. 2. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. A. R. Shearer, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).

[MH98] Morikawa, H., A. Higaki, M. Nohno, M. Takahashi, M. Kamada, M. Nakata, G. Toyohara, Y. Okamura, K. Matsui, S. Kitani, K. Fujita, K. Irifune & N. Goshima. 1998. More than a 600-fold variation in nitrogen dioxide assimilation among 217 plant taxa. Plant, Cell and Environment 21: 180–190.

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[O88] Ohba, H. 1988. The alpine flora of the Nepal Himalayas: an introductory note. In: Ohba, H., & S. B. Malla (eds) The Himalayan Plants vol. 1. The University Museum, University of Tokyo, Bulletin 31: 19–46.

[PL04] Pohl, G., & I. Lenski. 2004. Zur Verbreitung und Vergesellschaftung von Pennisetum orientale Rich. in Nordeuböa (Griechenland) (Poaceae, Paniceae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 83 (2): 209–223.

[R00] Ramond, C. 1800. Suite des plantes inédites des Pyrénées. Bulletin des Sciences, par la Societé Philomathique de Paris 2 (43): 146.

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[SCP98] Scott, L. J., B. C. Congdon & J. Playford. 1998. Molecular evidence that fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis, Asteraceae) is of South African origin. Plant Systematics and Evolution 213: 251–257.

[TNS09] Teles, A. M., J. N. Nakajima & J. R. Stehmann. 2009. Senecio albus, a new species of Senecio sect. Adamantina (Senecioneae—Asteraceae) with an emendment to the section. Kew Bulletin 64 (1): 161–165.

Last updated: 2 December 2018.