Common Groundsel
Senecio vulgaris
Photographed in a weed-filled yard in Phoenix, Arizona, March 2010.
ANNUAL: Medium-sized annual weed of spring time in the Sonoran Desert.
Few plants exceed ½ meter in
height with a number of stems branching from base and stout taproot.
FLOWERS: Numerous yellow-tipped flower heads surrounded by tall
phyllaries (bracts). These phyllaries also have conspicuous black tips. Opening
February to May.
LEAVES: Elyptic to elongate leaves are coarsely toothed along their
margins which are also wavy. Leaves are dark green and mostly smooth but young
leaves may have longish pubescence.
RANGE: This is a plant of mostly disturbed ground with plenty of
moisture and as such is frequent around gardens and agricultural operations. In
the Sonoran Desert proper it is infrequent in riparian habitats. It is native
to Eurasia.
FRUIT: Small seeds topped with a crown of fine capillary awns that aid
wind dispersal.
UNARMED. Lacks spines/thorns.