''Senecio'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 (b ...

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 wide ...

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

biocide A biocide is defined in the European legislation as a chemical substance or microorganism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a slig ...

s 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. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

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 converg ...

, even in its new circumscription which is based on

genetic data In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding gene ...

. 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 In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to have ...

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 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 means "less recen ...

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 In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

. Genera that have been included are the following: * ''

Aetheolaena ''Aetheolaena'' is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. Species include:''Aetheola ...

'' * ''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 * '' Hast ...

'' * ''

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

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 Asteraceae, sunflower family. It is a segregate (taxonomy), segregate of ''Senecio'', in which it formed the subgenus ''Dendrosenecio''. Its members, the giant groundsels, are native to the ...

'' (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 East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

* '' 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 ''Pippenalia'' is a genus of Mexican plants in the groundsel tribe within the sunflower family.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 ''Pseudogynoxys'' is a genus of flowering plant in the Senecioneae, groundsel tribe within the Asteraceae, sunflower family, native to North America, North and South America. ; Species * ''Pseudogynoxys benthamii'' Cabrera - Paraguay, Argentina, ...

'' (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 In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

, ''

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 Morp ...

'', 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 plant, succulent flowering plant in the family Asteraceae that is native to South Africa. Cape ivy is a scrambling and a vine, twining herb that can become an N ...

'' L.f. — creeping groundsel *'' Senecio antisanae'' *''

Senecio arborescens ''Senecio arborescens'' is a flowering plant in the aster family, but the available information about it is mostly conflicting and old. According to the World Conservation Union, ''S. arborescens'' is a native to and widely occurring in the are ...

’ *'' 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 crassissimus'', the propeller plant, vertical leaf or lavender steps, is a succulent species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, and is endemic to the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa. Description It is ...

'' *''

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 hab ...

'' — 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.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q209596 Asteraceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus