Senecio vulgaris L.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2100 - 3500 m.; Andes.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Ecology

Alt. 2100 - 3500 m.

Distribution

Naturalised in Colombia.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2100–3500 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Nariño, Putumayo, Santander, Tolima.

Habit

Herb.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual 6–40(–50) cm tall; stem erect, branched or simple, ± glabrous to sparsely arachnoid (as are the leaves)

Morphology Leaves

Basal and lower cauline leaves obovate to oblong in outline, 1.2–9.5 × 0.3–1.5 cm, pinnatifid or dentate-lobate, shortly petiolate; median cauline leaves similar but sessile, amplexicaul, auriculate, reducing upwards; upper leaves ± similar, frequently not much reduced

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence corymbose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula  discoid,  rarely  (not  in Iraq) shortly ligulate; involucre cylindrical, 0.5 cm in diameter; phyllaries glabrous, linear, acute, (5–)6–8 mm, often black-tipped; calycular bracts numerous, (1–)1.5–3 mm, usually black-tipped or occasionally entirely black

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 1.5–2 mm, densely appressed-pilose; pappus ± 6 mm, white.

Ecology

A weed of cultivation, in gardens, orchards and in cereal fields; alt. 35–300 m.;

Phenology

flowering & fruiting: Jan.-May, probably in gardens throughout the year.

Distribution

Occasional in the dry steppe zone and in the desert region of Iraq, on the irrigated alluvial plain. Throughout Europe, Aegean Is. to Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Arabia, Turkey, Caucasia, Iran, Afghanistan, E & W Siberia, N Africa (Morocco to Libya), Macaronesia (Madeira, Canary Is.). Introduced in E Asia, N America and elsewhere.

Note

Common Groundsel, a frequent weed of cultivated ground in Europe and elsewhere and, according to Johns (1908), a favourite food of many small birds. Wren (1956) states that this plant is diuretic and diaphoretic; it is said to relieve bilious pains and, in strong infusions, acts as a purgative and emetic.

Vernacular

? SHAIKH AR-RABI (which in this case might be loosely translated as “Harbinger of Spring”.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb 14–37 cm high.

Morphology Stem

Stems at first white-pubescent, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Basal leaves sessile, oblanceolate or oblanceolate-elliptic in outline, tapered into an expanded exauriculate petioloid base, pinnately toothed or lobed, rounded, soon disappearing; stem leaves sessile, oblong to broadly oblong in outline, auriculate, semi-amplexicaul, shortly to deeply pinnately lobulate with oblong to oblong-linear, apiculate-dentate lobes, 2.3–6 cm long, 0.15–0.6 (–1–1.7 cm across the lobes) cm wide; all leaves with scattered long white hairs above on midrib and beneath especially on midrib.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula discoid, in congested terminal corymbs; stalk of individual heads with long white pubescence, glabrescent; involucre cylindrical, 7–8 mm long, 2.5 mm in diameter; bracts of calyculus ± 8, imbricate, lanceolate, glabrous, up to 2 mm long; phyllaries ± 19, glabrous, 6.5–7.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Ray florets 0; disc florets yellow, corolla 5 mm long, tube expanded in the upper 1/3, glabrous, narrowly tubular below, lobes 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 2.5 mm long, ribbed, hairy in the grooves; pappus 5–5.5 mm long.

Habitat

Very little information, but probably in ruderal sites and a weed of cultivation; 1800–3000 m

Distribution

originally from temperate Eurasia and N Africa, now widely naturalized K3 K5 T3

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.