Ragwort
SENEC
Senecio spp. L.
Distribution and Habitat: Both Ragworts are found in moist areas in sagebrush, mountain brush, aspen, forb-grass, lodgepole pine, and spruce-fir plant communities from around 5,000’-12,000.’ Lambstongue Ragwort is found in all Utah counties while Tall Ragwort has been collected and reported in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Duchesne, Grand, Juab, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Summit, Utah, Weber, and Wasatch counties. General Information: Plants of the Senecio have been found to contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in concentrations high enough to present risk to livestock. Species Referenced: S. integerrimus Nutt. – Lambstongue Ragwort SEIN2 S. serra Hook. - Tall Ragwort SESE2 56
ASTERACEAE
Description: Lambstongue Ragwort, also known as Columbia Groundsel, and Tall Ragwort, also known as Saw Groundsel are native, perennial forbs of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) that grow from persistent woody bases (caudexes). Lambstongue Ragwort has a short semi-rhizomatous caudex which produces 1 or more upright stems from 4”-24” tall while Tall Ragwort stems are uniformly leafy, erect, 16”- 60” or more tall, and smooth or slightly rough with short, soft hairs. Basal and lower stem leaves of both species have short stalks, are 1”-8” long and up to 1½” wide. The leaves of Lambstongue Ragwort are lance-shaped or oblong while those of Tall Ragwort are narrowly lance-shaped or linear. Lambstongue Ragwort leaf margins are typically entire but sometimes serrated or toothed. Tall Ragwort leaf margins are toothed or almost entire. Upper leaves of Lambstongue Ragwort are smaller than lower leaves and are covered with cobwebby hairs when young but become smoother as the plant matures. Flowerheads of both species are flattopped to round-topped. Lambstongue has 8-13 yellow ray flowers while Tall Ragwort has 5-8 yellow ray flowers. Fruits of both species are achenes which have white bristles at the tip.