Quayle's Ragwort (Senecio quaylei)

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Asteraceae
State: TX
Nature Serve ID: 131672
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Annual, 8-12 dm tall, glabrous throughout or with a few inconspicuous hairs on the peduncles and phyllaries. Stems single, striate, the proximal third 10-1 5 mm in diameter, narrower distally, hollow, with a conspicuous reddish subepidermal layer when freshly cut; arising from a short, thin taproot surrounded by abundant, thin and sparingly branched fibrous roots. Basal and proximal cauline leaves with blades ovate, mostly 12-24 cm long and 8-12 cm wide, margins wavy, with a few scattered minute denticles, midvein prominent and lateral veins less conspicuous in dried specimens, tapering or gently contracted to a distinct petiole, ca. 2/3 the length of the blade. Middle cauline leaves with blades nearly as large as the basal leaves, ovate to broadly lanceolate, sessile and clasping . Distal cauline leaves lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 6-14 cm long, sessile, the distal most further reduced and bractlike. Capitulescences terminal or arising from the axils of the upper leaves;fundamentally corymbiform cymes of 20-40 capitula, or a close cluster of corymbiform cymules. Involucres cylindrical or turbinate to weakly cam- panulate, each subtended by a weakly defined calyculus of 2-7 linear bracteoles, 1-3 mm long, margins hairy. Phyllaries mostly 1 3, 8 mm long, green with hyaline margins, abaxial surfaces with short hairs distally, the apex with a minute tuft of hyaline hairs. Corollas yellow. Ray florets mostly 8, pistillate; corollas ca. 1 1 mm long, tubes 4 mm and laminae ca. 7 mm long, 2.5 mm wide. bisexual;corollas 7( 1 0) mm long, tube and limb (including lobes) of about equal length, corolla lobes triangular, 0.5 mm long . Cypselae not seen, oldest ovaries wrinkled, empty, 1 -3 mm long, pubescent through- out. Pappus of abundant white, minutely barbellate bristles in a single series, 6-7 mm long. Chromosome number unknown.

Where is Quayle's Ragwort (Senecio quaylei) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Roadside ditch.

Distribution:

Known from a single occurrence in Tarrant County, Texas

States & Provinces:

Quayle's Ragwort can be found in Texas

Which CPC Partners conserve Quayle's Ragwort (Senecio quaylei)?

Botanical Research Institute of Texas / Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

According to Barkley (2000), it is unclear whether the occurrence of this plant in Texas is as an exotic waif or as a rare member of the regional flora, known thus far from one small occurrence in a roadside ditch. Texas Heritage (Jan. 2001) treats as native, and hence endemic.

Kim Taylor

01/01/2010

Known from a single occurrence of about 15 individuals (Barkley 2000).