Scapisenecio pectinatus
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scapisenecio pectinatus, synonym Senecio pectinatus,[1] commonly known as alpine groundsel, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family.[2] The species occurs in alpine areas of south-eastern Australia in peat-based soils.[3][4] It has divided leaves forming a basal rosette and produces a single yellow flower head (up to 30 mm diameter) on a stalk up to 20 cm high.[3]
| Scapisenecio pectinatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Scapisenecio |
| Species: | S. pectinatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Scapisenecio pectinatus (DC.) Schmidt-Leb. | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1838 as Senecio pectinatus.[1] It was transferred to the new genus Scapisenecio in 2020 as a result of a molecular phylogenetic study of Australian species in the tribe Senecioneae.[5]
Two varieties are currently recognised:[1]
- Scapisenecio pectinatus var. major (F.Muell. ex Belcher) Schmidt-Leb. (Victoria and New South Wales)[6][7]
- Scapisenecio pectinatus var. pectinatus (Victoria and Tasmania)[6][8] It has small leaves with the tips of the divided segments curving inwards.[4]
A white-flowering variety, formerly Senecio pectinatus var. ochroleucus F.Muell., was promoted to species status in 2004 as Senecio albogilvus I.Thomps.,[9] and then transferred to Scapisenecio as Scapisenecio albogilvus.