Senecio sylvaticus L.
wood groundsel
Erect, annual herb, (10)-20-60-(120) cm tall. Stems sparsely to moderately hairy, branched or not from base. Basal and lower cauline lvs sparsely to moderately hairy especially on lower surface, petiolate; petiole < lamina, slightly amplexicaul or not at base; lamina lyrate-pinnatifid to 1-(2)-pinnatifid, elliptic, narrow-obovate to oblong, obtuse and mucronate at apex, 3-15 × 1-5 cm; venation pinnate; segments usually ± oblong, irregularly dentate. Upper cauline lvs becoming smaller, narrower, apetiolate, and often finally 1-pinnatisect or simply dentate. Capitula in loose panicles. Supplementary bracts 3-6, linear to lanceolate, 1-3 mm long. Involucral bracts 12-14-(16), linear, 5.5-8 mm long, with scattered fine hairs. Ray florets usually 7-11-(13), very rarely 0; ligules yellow, 0.5-2 mm long, soon revolute. Disc bright yellow, 2-3 mm diam. Achenes terete or slightly flattened, with 3-6 rows of hairs between ribs, 2-2.5 mm long; pappus 5-7 mm long.
N.: local throughout; S.: throughout, common; Ch.
Europe 1878
Waste places, forest margins, pasture and stony sites from coastal areas to 1000 m.
FL Oct-Feb-(Apr).
This strongly scented annual differs from S. vulgaris in more often having rayed capitula, and in the few, slender, supplementary bracts which do not have black tips. It can usually be distinguished from the erechtitoid senecios (including S. glomeratus which also has revolute lf margins) by the presence of short rays, but is also distinguished by a combination of annual habit, petiolate lvs, densely hairy achenes, and the number of involucral bracts. The achenes may appear similar to those of S. scaberulus, but the 2 spp. differ in hair and floral characters. S. areolatus Colenso is based on material of S. sylvaticus.
