''Senecio'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of flowering plants in the daisy family (
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
) that includes ragworts and groundsels.
Variously
circumscribed
In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius.
Not every polyg ...
taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants.
Description
Morphology
The
flower head
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
s are normally rayed with the heads borne in branched clusters, and usually completely yellow, but green, purple, white and blue flowers are known as well.
In its current circumscription, the genus contains species that are
annual
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
or
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
herbs, shrubs, small trees, aquatics or climbers. The only species which are trees are the species formerly belonging to ''
Robinsonia'' occurring on the
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...
.
Chemistry
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), sometimes referred to as necine bases, are a group of naturally occurring alkaloids based on the structure of pyrrolizidine. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insect he ...
are found in all ''Senecio'' species. These alkaloids serve as a natural
biocides to deter or even kill animals that would eat them. Livestock generally do not find them palatable. ''Senecio'' species are used
as food plants by the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
...
e of some
Lepidoptera species that have developed tolerance for these alkaloids.
Taxonomy
The traditional circumscription of ''Senecio'' is artificial, being
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...
, even in its new circumscription which is based on
genetic data.
Despite the separation of many
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
into other genera, the genus still contains species and is one of the
largest genera of flowering plants.
As no morphological
synapomorphies are known to determine which species belong to the genus or not, no exact species number is known. The genus has an almost worldwide distribution
and evolved in the mid- to late
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
.
Phylogeny
Many genera and the whole tribe are in need of revision. Many species currently placed in the genus need to be transferred to other or new genera, and others have been retransferred to ''Senecio''. In its new delimitation the genus is still not
monophyletic.
Genera that have been included are the following:
* ''
Aetheolaena''
* ''Culcitum''
* ''
Hasteola
''Hasteola'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae.
; Species
* ''Hasteola kamtschatica'' (Maxim.) Pojark. - Russian Far East, northeastern China, Korea
* ''Hasteola praetermissa'' Poljakov - Russian Far East
* ''Hasteol ...
''
* ''
Iocenes
''Iocenes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family.
There is only one known species, ''Iocenes acanthifolius'', native to extreme southern South America ( Tierra del Fuego Province in Argentina and Magallanes Region in Chile
...
'' B. Nord.
* ''
Lasiocephalus
''Lasiocephalus'' is a genus of South American flowering plants in groundsel tribe within the sunflower family. The genus was shown to be part of Senecio and predominantly occurs in tropical alpine-like regions.
; Species '' Willd. ex Schltdl.
* ''
Robinsonia''
Synonyms
![Senecio serpens 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Senecio_serpens_06.jpg)
The following genera contain species that are or have been included within ''Senecio''.
* ''
Antillanthus'' B. Nord.
* ''
Barkleyanthus'' H. Rob. & Brettell
* ''
Brachyglottis'' J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.
* ''
Canariothamnus'' B. Nord.
* ''
Curio
Curio may refer to:
Objects
*Bric-à-brac, lesser objets d'art for display
* Cabinet of curiosities, a room-sized collection or exhibit of curios or curiosities
*Collectables
*Curio cabinet, a cabinet constructed for the display of curios
People
...
'' P.V. Heath
* ''
Dauresia
''Dauresia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Com ...
'' B. Nord. & Pelser
* ''
Dendrophorbium'' C. Jeffrey
* ''
Dendrosenecio
''Dendrosenecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is a segregate of ''Senecio'', in which it formed the subgenus ''Dendrosenecio''. Its members, the giant groundsels, are native to the higher altitude zones of ten mo ...
'' (Hauman ex Hedberg) B. Nord. - Giant groundsels occurring in the
high altitude
Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
areas of
East Africa
* ''
Dorobaea'' Cass.
* ''
Dresslerothamnus'' H. Rob.
* ''
Elekmania'' B. Nord.
* ''
Herreranthus'' B. Nord.
* ''
Hubertia'' Bory
* ''
Jacobaea
''Jacobaea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Senecioneae and the family Asteraceae. Its members used to be placed in the genus ''Senecio'', but have been separated into the segregate genus ''Jacobaea'' on the basis of molecular phylo ...
'' Mill.''
Leonis'' B. Nord.
* ''
Ligularia''
* ''
Lundinia'' B. Nord.
* ''
Mesogramma'' DC.
* ''
Monticalia
''Monticalia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.
Species include:
*'' Monticalia angustifolia''
*'' Monticalia befarioides''
*'' Monticalia empetroides''
*'' Monticalia microdon''
*'' Monticalia micropachyphyllus''
*'' Mon ...
'' C. Jeffrey
* ''
Nelsonianthus'' H. Rob. & Brettell
* ''
Nesampelos'' B. Nord., nom. inval.
* ''
Oldfeltia'' B. Nord. & Lundin
* ''
Packera
''Packera'' is a genus of about 64 species of plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Most species are commonly called ragworts or grounsels. Its members were previously included in the genus ''Senecio'' (where they were called ''aureoid senecios ...
'' Á. Löve & D. Löve
* ''
Pentacalia'' Cass.
* ''
Pippenalia'' McVaugh
* ''
Pittocaulon'' H. Rob. & Brettell
* ''
Pojarkovia
''Pojarkovia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family.
Species
;accepted species
*''Pojarkovia pojarkovae'' (Schischk.) Greuter - Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , als ...
'' Askerova
* ''
Psacaliopsis'' H. Rob. & Brettell
* ''
Pseudogynoxys'' (Greenm.) Cabrera
* ''
Pseudojacobaea'' (Hook. f.) R. Mathur
* ''
Roldana
''Roldana'' also known as groundsel is a genus of large herbs or subshrubs from the tribe groundsel tribe within the sunflower family.
Most if not all of its members used to be members of a related genus, ''Senecio''. The species which are nat ...
'' La Llave
* ''
Sinosenecio'' B. Nord.
* ''
Synotis'' (C. B. Clarke) C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen
* ''
Telanthophora'' H. Rob. & Brettell
* ''
Tephroseris'' (Rchb.) Rchb.
* ''
Vendredia
''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels.
Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants.
Description
Mor ...
'' Baill.
* ''
Zemisia
''Zemisia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae. The genus was circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed by Rune Bertil Nordenstam in Compositae News Lett. vol.44 on page 72 in 2006.
It is native to southern Mexico, ...
'' B. Nord.
Etymology
The
scientific name, ''
Senecio
''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels.
Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants.
Description
Mor ...
'', means "old man".
Selected species
*''
Senecio ampullaceus'' — Texas ragwort, Texas squaw-weed, Texas groundsel, clasping-leaf groundsel
*''
Senecio angulatus
''Senecio angulatus'', also known as creeping groundsel
and Cape ivy,
is a succulent flowering plant in the family Asteraceae that is native to South Africa. Cape ivy is a scrambling and a twining herb that can become an aggressive weed once e ...
'' L.f. — creeping groundsel
*''
Senecio antisanae''
*''
Senecio arborescens’
*''
Senecio barbertonicus'' Klatt — succulent bush senecio
*''
Senecio battiscombei''
**''Dendrosenecio battiscombei''
*''
Senecio bigelovii'' — nodding groundsel
*''
Senecio bosniacus'' G. Beck — Bosnian ragwort
*''
Senecio brasiliensis
''Senecio brasiliensis'', known by the common name flor-das-almas, (flower-of-souls), is a perennial species of the genus '' Senecio'' and family Asteraceae. It is native to fields and meadows of central South America.
Description
''S. brasili ...
'' (Spreng.) Less. — flor-das-almas
**''Cineraria brasiliensis''
*''
Senecio candicans'' — angel wings
*''
Senecio cambrensis
''Senecio cambrensis'' (Welsh groundsel or Welsh ragwort) is a flowering plant of the family Asteraceae. It is endemic to Great Britain and currently known only from North Wales. It is a recently evolved plant that arose as a result of hyb ...
'' — Welsh groundsel, Welsh ragwort
*''
Senecio congestus'' (R. Br.) DC. — marsh ragwort, clustered marsh ragwort, marsh fleabane
**''Cineraria palustris''
**''Othonna palustris''
**''Tephroseris palustris''
*''
Senecio crassissimus''
*''
Senecio douglasii
''Senecio flaccidus'', formerly recorded as ''Senecio douglasii'' (in honor of the botanist David Douglas), member of the daisy family and genus ''Senecio'' also known as threadleaf ragwort (and threadleaf groundsel, bush senecio, creek sene ...
'' — threadleaf groundsel
*''
Senecio elegans'' — purple groundsel
*''
Senecio flaccidus'' Less. — Douglas senecio, threadleaf groundsel, threadleaf ragwort
*''
Senecio ficoides''
**''Curio ficoides''
*''
Senecio gallicus'' Chaix — French groundsel
*''
Senecio glabellus'' Poir. — butterweed
**''Packera glabella'' (Poir) C. Jeffrey
*''
Senecio glaucus'' L. — Jaffa groundsel
*''
Senecio 'Hippogriff''' — dolphin necklace, flying dolphins, dolphin plant
**''Curio × peregrinus''
*''
Senecio howeanus''
*''
Senecio inaequidens'' — South African ragwort
*''
Senecio iscoensis
''Senecio iscoensis'' or ''Aetheolaena senecioides'' is a flowering plant in the aster family. It is found only in subtropical and tropical dry shrubland in Ecuador.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
It is known from three collections in the ce ...
'' — Hieron.
*''Senecio jacobaea'' — is a synonym of ''
Jacobaea vulgaris
''Jacobaea vulgaris'', syn. ''Senecio jacobaea'', is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere.
Common names inc ...
''.
*''
Senecio keniensis''
**''Dendrosenecio keniensis''
*''
Senecio keniodendron'' — giant groundsel
**''Dendrosenecio keniodendron''
*''
Senecio keniophytum''
*''
Senecio kleinia
''Kleinia neriifolia'', known in Spanish as ''verode'' or ''berode'', is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae). It is endemic to the Canary Islands. It was formerly named ''Senecio kleinia''.
Description
A succulent pl ...
''
**''Kleinia neriifolia''
*''
Senecio kleiniiformis'' — spearhead
*''
Senecio lamarckianus''
*''
Senecio leucanthemifolius'' Poir. — coastal ragwort
*''
Senecio littoralis''
*''
Senecio madagascariensis
''Senecio madagascariensis'', also known as Madagascar ragwort, is a species of the genus ''Senecio'' and family Asteraceae that is native to Southern Africa. Other common names include Madagascar groundsel and fireweed. It has been included on ...
'' — Madagascar ragwort
*''
Senecio macroglossus'' — Natal ivy, wax ivy
*''
Senecio mikanioides'' — Cape ivy, German ivy
**''Delairea odorata''
*''
Senecio neowbsteri'' Olympic Mountain groundsel
*''
Senecio nivalis'' Kunth
*''
Senecio obovatus'' Muhl. — roundleaf ragwort
**''Packera obovata'' (Muhl. ex Willd.)
*''
Senecio patagonicus''
*''
Senecio pauciradiatus
''Senecio pauciradiatus'' is an annual herb in the daisy family, Asteraceae. The specific epithet comes from the Latin ''pauci-'' (“few”) and ''radiatus'', referring to the flower's relatively few ray florets.
Description
The plant grows u ...
''
*''
Senecio pulcher''
*''
Senecio radicans'' — string of bananas
**''Curio radicans''
*''
Senecio rowleyanus
''Curio rowleyanus'', syn. ''Senecio rowleyanus'', is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine native to the drier parts of southwest Africa. In its natural environment its stems trail on the ...
'' — string of pearls
**''Curio rowleyanus''
*''
Senecio sanmarcosensis
''Senecio sanmarcosensis'' is a perennial ''Senecio'' native to high elevation wetlands in ''Polylepis racemosa'' forests in the Callejón de Huaylas in Peru.
References
Senecio, sanmarcosensis
{{Senecioneae-stub ...
''
*''Senecio scandens'' —
German ivy
*''
Senecio serpens'' — blue chalksticks
**''Curio repens''
*''
Senecio squalidus'' — Oxford ragwort
*''
Senecio trapezuntinus''
*''
Senecio triangularis'' — arrowleaf groundsel
*''
Senecio tropaeolifolius'' — false nasturtium
*''
Senecio vaginatus''
*''
Senecio vernalis
''Senecio vernalis'' is one of the European species of Senecio, an annual that is also known as eastern groundsel. While it has been long classified as ''Senecio vernalis'', this species has more recently been described as a subspecies of '' Sen ...
'' — eastern groundsel
*''
Senecio viscosus
''Senecio viscosus'' is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus ''Senecio''. It is known as the sticky ragwort, sticky groundsel or stinking groundsel Groundsel is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
*Members of the genus ''Senec ...
'' — sticky ragwort
*''
Senecio vulgaris
''Senecio vulgaris'', often known by the common names groundsel and old-man-in-the-spring, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is an annual herb, native to Europe and widely naturalised as a ruderal species in suitable disturbed ha ...
'' — common groundsel, old-man-in-the-spring
Formerly in ''Senecio''
* ''
Brachyglottis greyi
''Brachyglottis greyi'', commonly known as daisy bush, is a member of the large family Asteraceae and belongs to the genus '' Brachyglottis'' or the genus ''Senecio'' depending on which authority is being followed. It is an endemic native of New ...
'' (as ''S. greyi'')
* ''
Pericallis × hybrida'' (as ''S. cruentus'')
* ''
Rugelia nudicaulis
''Rugelia nudicaulis'' (Rugel's Indian plantain or Rugels ragwort), the sole species of the genus ''Rugelia'', blooms in summer. It is a wildflower endemic to higher elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is a rare species in Tennessee. Fir ...
'' — Rugels ragwort
Distribution
The genus ''Senecio'' is distributed almost worldwide.
It is one of the few genera occurring in all five regions with a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
. Furthermore, species are found in mountainous regions, including tropical alpine-like areas.
See also
*
Ragwort Control Act 2003
The Ragwort Control Act 2003 (c 40) is an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates guidance as a Code of Practice on Ragwort Control, but does not force control, create a responsibility to ...
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q209596
Asteraceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus