 |
Erect herb. Leaves (bottom row of images) primarily at base of plant,
spoon-shaped to oval, toothed, or sometimes lobed. Leaves on stem,
smaller, stalkless and clasping te stem, usually deeply cut, sometimes
only toothed.. Stems with tufts of white hairs at branches.
Flower heads in a terminal cluster. Each flowerhead consists of a
central button of yellow-orange disk flowers, surrounded by a number of
yellow ray flowers that have thick rims. Flowers are preceded by purple buds. Blooms in late spring.
Plant
of dry rocky areas. Common under the power line along Wildwood
Drive, and also scattered throughout the woods on the eastern slope.
Easily identified by its numerous small yellow flowers
and its habitat in open dry areas. Many members of the Asteraceae
are yellow and it is difficult to identify them with surety.
Ragworts tend to have deeply cut stem leaves and relatively small
flowers in relatively large clusters. Golden
ragwort (Packera aurea) also grows in Wildwood but it grows
in very wet places.
There is currently some controversy over the relationship of our plants to other ragworts. P. plattensis is common in the midwest where it is known as Prairie Ragwort. Appalachian plants considered P. plattensis,
unlike midwestern plants, specialize in growing on soils that are high
in magnesium (ultramafic soils), which we have on the east slope of
Wildwood. Some botanists thus consider our plants to be a
magnesium-loving variety of Balsam Ragwort, and name it Packera paupercula var. appalachiana.
It is interesting that, while our east slope is ultramafic, our west
slope is not, explaining the plant's distribution in the Park.
|
 |
