Packera macounii
Encyclopedia
Packera macounii is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Siskiyou Mountains ragwort. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia
to far northern California
, where it grows in chaparral
and mountain forests, often on serpentine soil
s.
It is a perennial herb producing a single erect stem up to 40 or 50 centimeters in maximum height from a taproot
and branching caudex
unit. It is slightly hairy to quite woolly in texture. The leaves have lance-shaped blades several centimeters long which are borne on long petioles
.
The inflorescence
holds several flower heads
containing many disc florets and usually either 8 or 13 yellow ray florets each about a centimeter long.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name Siskiyou Mountains ragwort. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to far northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and mountain forests, often on serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s.
It is a perennial herb producing a single erect stem up to 40 or 50 centimeters in maximum height from a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
and branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
unit. It is slightly hairy to quite woolly in texture. The leaves have lance-shaped blades several centimeters long which are borne on long petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
holds several flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
containing many disc florets and usually either 8 or 13 yellow ray florets each about a centimeter long.