Senecio canus

   
Silvery Groundsel

Flower Head Top

West Block, Cypress Hills
26-June-2004

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Note: The key to the species in Budd's Flora requires the leaves possess the following somewhat contradictory attributes.  The first and third points appear to be opposed. 
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leaves all or mostly coarsely lobed to pinnately divided; NOT subentire to dentate

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basal leaves, if present, dentate or shallowly lobed; NOT deeply pinnately lobed, NOT divided

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basal leaves entire; NOT mostly toothed, NOT pinnatifid

 

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Note also: The key to the species in Budd's Flora requires:
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flower heads few to many; NOT solitary

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Yet: The key in Flora of Alberta states:
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heads 1-several

 

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Canus:  Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species.  
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perennial plants, usually with rootstocks; NOT annual plants with taproots, NOT biennials

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plants more or less  pubescent at flowering time; NOT always glabrous, NOT floccose-tomentose when young and becoming glabrous later (except occasionally for some tomentum in the leaf axils or elsewhere)

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pubescence very fine, tomentose or floccose-tomentose; NOT loosely villose, NOT crisp, NOT arachnoid

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basal leaves white woolly (Budd's Flora)

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leaf surface sometimes glabrous (Flora of Alberta)

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basal or lower cauline leaves well developed, often tufted

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cauline leaves progressively reduced upwards; NOT only gradually reduced upwards

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heads small; NOT large

 
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Senecio: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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leaves alternate; NOT opposite

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involucral bracts uniseriate, equal, narrow, commonly with a few very much shorter outer ones at the base; NOT imbricate in two or more series, NOT broad, NOT somewhat leafy

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involucral bracts either NOT imbricated or SCARCELY imbricated

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flower head with florets both tubular and ray

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ray florets yellow; NOT blue, NOT purple, NOT white

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stamens united to form a tube around the pistil

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pappus composed of hairs; NOT composed of scales or bristles (Budd's Flora)

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pappus simple, the bristles sometimes unequal, but NOT distinctly divided into two lengths; pappus NOT double, NO outer series that is inconspicuous and very much shorter than the inner (Flora of Alberta)