Asteraceae

Senecio L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 866 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Herbs or subshrubs with alternate, entire, dentate or 1–2-pinnatipartite or -pinnatisect, glabrous to densely hairy leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences usually corymbose, dense or lax, capitula rarely solitary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula heterogamous and radiate or homogamous and discoid; involucre campanulate, obconical or cylindrical; phyllaries uniseriate, with or without an outer calycullus, which when present, is usually shorter than phyllaries; receptacle flat or convex, naked
Ray
Ray florets (when present) female, rays yellow, orange, pink, red or purplish; disc florets tubular, hermaphrodite, 4- or 5-lobed, corolla usually yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ribbed, subcylindrical, usually beakless, glabrous or setuliferous; pappus usually present, multiseriate, barbellate, persistent or caducous, usually white.
Distribution
Once one of the largest genera of flowering plants, of about 3000 species distributed throughout the world, but now considered to contain about 1250 species, Iranecio and Pericallis being among those now recognized as separate genera; 10 native species in Iraq, 2 other taxa cultivated.
Etymology
Senecio (a name in Pliny, probably for S. vulgaris; from Lat. senex, an old man, referring to the conspicuous white pappus of these plants); Groundsel, also Ragwort or sometimes Ragweed (more generally applied to species of Ambrosia).
Vernacular
Guest (1933) noted the vernacular names HODHĀN (or WARD HODHĀN) and MURRAIR for certain species of Senecio in N Iraq, also known in the Kurdish foothills as GUZÎLKA ZERD (“little yellow flower”, Kurd.) which are palatable by livestock only when dry but injurious, even at times causing death.
[FIQ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or small trees, sometimes climbing
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire to pinnatifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Capitula solitary and terminal or corymbose to paniculate, radiate or discoid; phyllaries uniseriate, with an outer series of linear bracts forming a calyculus, receptacle without paleae
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets mostly yellow; ray florets mostly pistillate; disk florets bisexual, tubular-campanulate, (4–)5-lobed; style branches truncate with a penicillate tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ellipsoid-oblong, ribbed; pappus of many slender barbellate bristles.
Distribution
Genus of more than 1400 species and with a world-wide distribution.
[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes scandent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually alternate, very variable
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence from solitary capitula to very compound many-headed cymes or panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula discoid or radiate, usually stalked, solitary or in groups which often form corymbose cymes; involucre usually with a single row of phyllaries subtended by a small calyculus of much smaller bracts; phyllaries free or rarely connate, with membranous or scarious margin
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers mostly yellow, sometimes purple or reddish; anthers ecaudate, obtuse or sagittate at base, appendiculate at apex; style branches obtuse or truncate with a ring of hairs and stigmatic lines
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes cylindrical, ellipsoid or obovoid, with a pappus of fine bristles.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0