Montana Field Guide

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.

Flowering likely begins in late July-early August with fruits developing from mid-August into September.

Though vegetatively very similar to Senecio amplectens, the heads of S. elmeri are more numerous and smaller in size than S. amplectens.

Rocky, alpine slopes

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).

STATE THREAT SCORE REASON
Threat impact not assigned because threats are not known (MTNHP Threat Assessment 2021).