Senecio sylvaticus L.
wood groundsel (woodland ragwort)
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Val George     (Photo ID #74804)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Senecio sylvaticus
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a more or less evident taproot; stems erect, solitary, branched, 15-80 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves smaller than the stem leaves, usually deciduous by flowering time; stem leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 2-12 cm long, 0.4-4 cm wide, more or less pinnately cut, irregularly toothed, stalked near the base, becoming unstalked upwards, sparsely to densely long-hairy or sometimes nearly glabrous.
Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, several to numerous heads on sparsely to densely long-hairy stalks in an open inflorescence; involucres 5-7 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, black-tipped, sparsely long-hairy and sometimes glandular-hairy at the tips; bracteoles minute, inconspicuous or lacking; ray flowers yellow, inconspicuous, mostly 1-2 mm long; disk flowers yellow.
Fruits:
Achenes oblong, faintly ribbed, white stiff-hairy; pappus of white hairlike bristles.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Senecio sylvaticus

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
325 5 713
Slope Gradient (%)
14 0 70

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

208 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 0 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
144
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CWH(113), ICH(1)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry roadsides, clearcuts and disturbed areas in the lowland zone; frequent in coastal and SW BC; introduced from Europe.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia