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Elmer's Ragwort - Senecio elmeri
Other Names:
Senecio spribillei
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
DRAFT: Requesting feedback on the 2026 revised rank, factors, and State Rank Reason outlined below and in the Conservation Status Rank Report.
Senecio elmeri is very rare in the state, where it is known from only one population in the Cabinet Mtns. The population appears to be moderate to large in size, reducing any immediate concern about its viability. Due to its remote location, no threats appear to exist besides potential threats from long term changes in climate. Repeat visits to the site have not been made, as a result, actual trends are unknown though are assumed to be relatively stable since the habitat is stable and in good condition.
Surveys are needed to establish a better estimate of population size and extent.
General Description
Fibrous-rooted with a branched caudex. Stems erect to ascending, simple, 10–20 cm. Herbage glabrate to weakly villous. Leaves: basal conspicuously petiolate; blades oblanceolate to ovate, 2–4 cm long, dentate or serrate; lower cauline often larger than basal. Inflorescence cymiform, of 2 to 9 nodding to erect heads. Heads radiate; involucres 7–12 mm high; phyllaries ca. 13, glabrous, often black-tipped. Rays ca. 8; ligules 7–12 mm long. Disk corollas 8–9 mm long. Achenes glabrous (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
The first Montana collection of this entity was erroneously described as a new species (
Senecio spribillei) in 2002. Additional collections from the type locality and further investigation show that Montana material is conspecific with
Senecio elmeri.
Phenology
Flowering likely begins in late July-early August with fruits developing from mid-August into September.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Though vegetatively very similar to Senecio amplectens, the heads of S. elmeri are more numerous and smaller in size than S. amplectens.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Endemic to southern BC and WA, disjunct in Lincoln County, MT (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 2
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Rocky, alpine slopes
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Alpine
Alpine - Sparse and Barren
Alpine - Vegetated
Ecology
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus bifarius,
Bombus flavifrons,
Bombus frigidus,
Bombus huntii,
Bombus melanopygus,
Bombus mixtus,
Bombus sylvicola,
Bombus occidentalis,
Bombus insularis,
Bombus suckleyi,
Bombus flavidus, and
Bombus kirbiellus (Schmitt 1980, Thorp et al. 1983, Mayer et al. 2000, Wilson et al. 2010, Pyke et al. 2012, Koch et al. 2012, Williams et al. 2014).
Stewardship Responsibility
Threats or Limiting Factors
STATE THREAT SCORE REASON
Threat impact not assigned because threats are not known (MTNHP Threat Assessment 2021).
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication
Koch, J., J. Strange, and P. Williams. 2012. Bumble bees of the western United States. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service, Pollinator Partnership. 143 p.- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
- Mayer, D.F., E.R. Miliczky, B.F. Finnigan, and C.A. Johnson. 2000. The bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of southeastern Washington. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 97: 25-31.
- MTNHP Threat Assessment. 2021. State Threat Score Assignment and Assessment of Reported Threats from 2006 to 2021 for State-listed Vascular Plants. Botany Program, Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana.
- Pyke, G.H., D.W. Inouye, and J.D. Thomson. 2012. Local geographic distributions of bumble bees near Crested Butte, Colorado: competition and community structure revisited. Environmental Entomology 41(6): 1332-1349.
- Schmitt, J. 1980. Pollinator foraging behavior and gene dispersal in Senecio (Compositae). Evolution 34: 934-943.
- Thorp, R.W., D.S. Horning, and L.L. Dunning. 1983. Bumble bees and cuckoo bumble bees of California (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 23:1-79.
- Williams, P., R. Thorp, L. Richardson, and S. Colla. 2014. Bumble Bees of North America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 208 p.
- Wilson, J.S., L.E. Wilson, L.D. Loftis, and T. Griswold. 2010. The montane bee fauna of north central Washington, USA, with floral associations. Western North American Naturalist 70(2): 198-207.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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