Species: Packera pseudaurea (Rydb.) W.A. Weber & A. Löve

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Packera pseudaurea (Rydb.) W.A. Weber & A. Löve

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Asteraceae or Compositae

Genus:

Packera

Species Synonyms:

Senecio pseudaureus Rydb.

Common Names:

golden groundsel
falsegold groundsel

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia – southern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba

Saskatchewan:

south-central Saskatchewan

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

meadows, thickets, and open woodlands

Associated Species:

black spruce

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Golden groundsel is threatened because of rarity in the province. Although its range is relatively large within Saskatchewan, there are few recorded localities. No immediate threats are known but are possible in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Roots:

30 – 70 cm tall

Stems:

stem base weakly branched, woody, persistent; sparsely woolly when young, soon essentially hairless

Leaves:

basal and on the stem; basal leaves long-stalked, woolly in axils, 8 – 15 cm long, 2 – 4 cm wide, oval to broadly lance-shaped, base heart-shaped to square, apex short-tapered, toothed to lobed, terminal lobe oval to spoon-shaped; stem leaves sessile (at least uppermost), 3 – 4 cm long, to 1 cm wide, reduced upwards, pinnately lobed upwards, margins and leaf axils woolly

Inflorescence:

heads 6 – 20 in branched cluster, to 1 cm broad; bracts 21 or 13 in a single series, 4 – 6 mm long, long-tapered, green, brownish at base

Flowers:

ray flowers usually present (13 or 8) and conspicuous, 6 – 10 mm long, yellow

Fruits:

achenes hairless

*KEY TO PACKERA* IN SASKATCHEWAN**
Note: This complex needs taxonomic revision. The key may not be accurate in all cases. Please refer to another key if you encounter difficulty with this one.

1 Plants usually hairless or nearly so; basal leaves usually entire or toothed, not lobed	2
1 Plants usually woolly-hairy (sometime glabrous) and/ or with basal leaves; basal leaves if present pinnately lobed or dissected	8

2 Ray flowers 0 or 8 – 13 (petals 2 – 7 mm long); plants of northern Saskatchewan	3
2 Ray flowers 0 or 5 – 21 (petals 4 – 12 mm long); plants from various areas of Saskatchewan	4

3 Basal leaves thick; heads few (1 – 4); bracts purple or at least purple-tipped	P. pauciflora
3 Basal leaves thin; head numerous (8 – 20); bracts green	P. indecora

4 Basal and lower stem leaves not tapering to stalk, base square to heart-shaped	5
4 Basal and lower stem leaves gradually tapering to stalk	6

5 Basal leaves lance-shaped to narrowly oval, tip short-tapered; margin toothed	P. pseudaurea
5 Basal leaves heart-shaped, spoon-shaped, or oval, tip rounded; margin toothed, lobed or wavy	P. streptanthifolia

6 Plants with a taproots and woody persistent stem base; may be woolly in leaf axils	P. tridenticulata
6 Plants with fibrous, taproots or rhizomes, persistent stem base if present not woody; leaves and stems generally all hairless	7

7 Basal leaves thick, inversely lance-shaped to spatula-shaped; disc flowers 35 – 60	P. streptanthifolia
7 Basal leaves thin, lance-shaped to elliptic; disc flowers 50 – 80	P. paupercula

8 Stems and leaves persistently woolly	P. plattensis
8 Stems and leaves usually hairless, sometimes woolly at base or in leaf axils	9

9 Plants 3 – 10 cm tall; heads few (1-6)	P. cana
9 Plants 10 – 50 cm tall; heads several (6 – 30)	10

10 Basal leaves nearly circular to broadly oval	11
10 Basal leaves narrowly elliptic to spoon-shaped	12

11 Margins of basal leaves entire to toothed; bracts hairless	P. streptanthifolia
11 Margins of basal leaves toothed to divided; bracts densely woolly	P. plattensis

12 Basal leaves toothed to lobed; tangled woolly to nearly hairless	P. plattensis
12 Basal leaves entire, except towards toothed tip; white woolly	P. cana