Small’s ragwort

Senecio anonymus Alph. Wood, Class-book Bot. ed. s.n.(b), 464. 1861; S. aureus Linnaeus var. angustifolius Britton; S. earlei Small; S. smallii Britton

Perennials, 30–70+ cm; fibrous-rooted (caudices erect to ascending). Stems 1 or 2–5, loosely clustered, bases densely tomentose, leaf axils usually tomentose. Basal leaves petiolate; blades narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 30–90+ × 10–20+ mm, bases tapering, margins serrate to crenate-serrate (apices rounded to acute, faces glabrous). Cauline leaves gradually reduced (petiolate or sessile; elliptic to lanceolate, often pinnatifid). Heads 20–70(–100+) in corymbiform arrays. Peduncles bracteate, distally tomentose. Calyculi inconspicuous. Phyllaries 13 or 21, light green, 3–5 mm, glabrous. Ray florets 8 or 13; corolla laminae 5–7+ mm. Disc florets 45–60+; corolla tubes 1.5–2 mm, limbs 1.5–2 mm. Cypselae 0.75–1 mm, hirsute on ribs; pappi 2.5–3 mm. 2n = 44.

Flowering early Jun–mid Jul (north), early Apr–late May (south). Open fields, meadows, roadsides, disturbed sites, in drying or sandy soils; 50–1800 m; Ala., Ark., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ky., La., Md., Miss., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.C., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Packera anonyma is common, almost weedy throughout most of its range. It grows on serpentine in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In western parts of its range, putative hybrids between P. anonyma and P. plattensis and P. tomentosa have been reported.