ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Senecio aureus
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ASTERALES
 FAMILY:   ASTERACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Senecio aureus
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    GOLDEN RAGWORT
    GROUNDSEL
    SQUAW-WEED
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: SEAU2
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       FLOODPLAIN FOREST
         MESIC
         WET-MESIC
         WET
       FLATWOODS
     WETLAND
       SEEP & SPRING
         TYPICAL SEEP
         CALCAREOUS SEEP
       BORDER OF LAKE
     PRIMARY
       GLADE
       BLUFF
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         PASTURELAND
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           BOONE           CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CLARK           COLES           COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND
   DEKALB          DUPAGE          EDGAR           EDWARDS         FULTON
   GREENE          GRUNDY          HANCOCK         HARDIN          JACKSON
   JEFFERSON       JERSEY          JO DAVIESS      KANE            KANKAKEE
   KENDALL         LAKE            LAWRENCE        LEE             LOGAN
   MCLEAN          MACOUPIN        MASSAC          MENARD          MONTGOMERY
   OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           POPE
   RICHLAND        STARK           TAZEWELL        UNION           VERMILION
   WABASH          WILL            WILLIAMSON      WINNEBAGO
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)   (stolons)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Undulate   Lobed  (pinnately)
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:       Cordate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Head
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Yellow
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     When in flower, species produces a pleasant, delicate
     fragrance from involucre and leaves of the flower head - this scent is
     unique in genus. Species has large round dark-green basal leaves.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      4         MONTH END-      5
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Disk flowers are perfect and fertile; ray flowers are pistillate
     and fertile - forms large colonies.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed on low ground along spring branches, wet ledges,
     bluff bases, rocky ravine slopes, calcareous springy habitats, and
     meadows.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
     LANDSCAPING:  YES     AMOUNT:   High
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     For foliage and showy yellow flowers, this is a desirable addition
     to moist wildflower gardens - pleasing cover for stream banks and
     spring borders.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  No data    PROTEIN VALUE: No data
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):   Suspect
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Toxic alkaloids, related to those present in Senecio jacobaea, may
     poison cattle and horses.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 GENERAL COMMENTS:
     This species may not be an economic weed in our area.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Senecio aureus
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015