Packera greenei
Encyclopedia
Packera greenei is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name flame ragwort. It is endemic to northern California
, where it is known from the North Coast Ranges and southern Klamath Mountains
. It is a resident of dry mountain scrub habitat, often on serpentine soil
s.
It is a perennial herb producing a single stem with a basal rosette of leaves from a rhizome
. It generally grows 20 to 30 centimeters tall. The basal leaves have oval blades up to 5 or 6 centimeters long borne on long petioles
. They are green, usually with purple undersides. Smaller leaves may occur farther up the stem.
The inflorescence
contains one or more flower heads
, each lined with woolly, green- or red-tipped phyllaries
. The head bears up to 13 narrow ray florets which are a distinctive orange or red-orange in color. They may approach 2 centimeters 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 flame ragwort. It is endemic to 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 is known from the North Coast Ranges and southern Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
. It is a resident of dry mountain scrub habitat, 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 stem with a basal rosette of leaves from a rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
. It generally grows 20 to 30 centimeters tall. The basal leaves have oval blades up to 5 or 6 centimeters long 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...
. They are green, usually with purple undersides. Smaller leaves may occur farther up the stem.
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...
contains one or more flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
, each lined with woolly, green- or red-tipped phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The head bears up to 13 narrow ray florets which are a distinctive orange or red-orange in color. They may approach 2 centimeters long.