Lemmon's Ragwort

Some young or depauperate specimens of Senecio lemmonii from northern Mexico resemble S. californicus, which occurs farther to the west in California and Baja California. Whether or not there is a relationship between the two is undetermined.

Subshrubs (monocarpic?), (10–)20–100 cm (taproots woody). Herbage glabrous or with tufts of white hairs in leaf axils. Stems usually 1 (branching distally, unevenly reddish, usually somewhat lax). Leaves evenly distributed; petiolate (proximal) or sessile; blades lanceolate to lance-linear, 3–10+ × (0.5–)1–2 cm, bases tapered (or auriculate), margins (sometimes revolute) unevenly dentate to subentire (mid and distal leaves similar, smaller, bases expanded, ± truncate to cordate, clasping). Heads 4–12 in loose, corymbiform arrays. Calyculi of 3–5+ linear to subulate bractlets (to 1.5 mm). Phyllaries ± 21, (4–)5–8 mm, tips often with minute black dots. Ray florets usually ± 8 or ± 13, rarely 0; corolla laminae 8–10 mm. Cypselae hairy.

Senecio decorticans A. Nelson