Summary ⁶

Senecio flaccidus is a plant in the member of the sunflower family and is commonly known as threadleaf ragwort, threadleaf groundsel, bush senecio, and Douglas ragwort (in honor of the botanist David Douglas), among others. It is a fast-growing perennial shrub that lives along dry washes.

Botanical Information ⁷

Senecio flaccidus, more commonly known as threadleaf groundsel or threadleaf ragwort, is a perennial shrub in the Asteraceae, or sunflower family. It grows in bunches and has a long stem. The plant typically lives from 3-6 years long. The inflorescence appears as a yellow flower with long thin petals. However, like many other members of the Asteraceae family, the flower head is actually a collection of many tiny flowers and what looks like petals is actually individual flowers.

Ecological Information ⁸

Threadleaf groundsel is native to the Bosque. It also lives in southwest parts of America including Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, California, and Texas. They live in dry climates and thrive in rocky or sandy environments. It grows well in dry creek beds, gravelly washes, and along roads and trails and needs very little amounts of water.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

Threadleaf groundsel has been used by the Costanoan people for a variety of medical purposes. It was used as a disinfectant, infused into water, and used externally to treat infected sores. The infusion was also taken internally for kidney support and for lock jaw after childbirth. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

Resources ⁹

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SEFLF
https://calscape.org/Senecio-flaccidus-var.-douglasii-()
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senecio_flaccidus
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/3642/

About the Author ⁸

Student author(s)*: Annie (age 12) and Judith (age 13) from South Valley Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/15464141496/
2. (c) Rebecca, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rebecca, http://www.flickr.com/photos/50008741@N00/6139242704
3. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/15470865556/
4. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/15464149496/
5. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/7934125482/
6. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
9. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

Range Map

(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)

iNat Map