Flame Ragwort

Packera greenei is known from Coast Ranges of northern California. It has relatively large heads and bright orange-red ray corollas; its leaves are usually cyanic abaxially.

Perennials, 20–30+ cm; rhizomatous (rhizomes horizontal to erect, not branched), sometimes stoloniferous. Stems 1, irregularly lanate or tomentose. Basal leaves (and proximal cauline) petiolate; blades orbiculate, ovate, oblanceolate, or rhombic, 20–50+ × 20–40+ mm, bases tapering, sometimes obtuse, margins coarsely dentate to crenate-dentate. Cauline leaves gradually to abruptly reduced (petioles broad-winged, clasping, blades obovate, bases tapering, margins irregularly dentate; distal sessile, linear to lanceolate, entire). Heads 1–3+. Peduncles bracteate, lanate or tomentose distally. Calyculi conspicuous. Phyllaries 21, green (tips sometimes deep red), 8–10+ mm, densely tomentose proximally, sparsely tomentose distally. Ray florets 8–10(–13); corolla laminae (red-orange) 8–15+ mm. Disc florets 35–65+; corolla tubes 4–5 mm, limbs 5–6 mm. Cypselae 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; pappi 8–11 mm. 2n = 40, 46, 92.

Senecio greenei A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 75. 1874

Packera greenei is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name flame ragwort. It is endemic to northern California, where it is known from the North Coast Ranges and southern Klamath Mountains. It is a resident of dry mountain scrub habitat, often on serpentine soils.

It is a perennial herb producing a single stem with a basal rosette of leaves from a rhizome. It generally grows 20 to 30 centimeters tall. The basal leaves have oval blades up to 5 or 6 centimeters long borne on long petioles. They are green, usually with purple undersides. Smaller leaves may occur farther up the stem.

The inflorescence contains one or more flower heads, each lined with woolly, green- or red-tipped phyllaries. The head bears up to 13 narrow ray florets which are a distinctive orange or red-orange in color. They may approach 2 centimeters long.