Asteraceae : Packera cana
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Family Name
Asteraceae
Common Name
Woolly Groundsel, Gray ragwort
Description
Packera cana is a perennial herb growing 10-30 cm tall, the stems and leaves densely covered with felt-like hairs giving them a silvery gray color. The leaves are simple and alternate. The rosette of basal leaves and the lowest cauline leaves have long petioles, the blade ovate to lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, with a blunt to rounded tip, and with margins that are entire to slightly toothed. The upper cauline leaves are much reduced. The is a corymbiform cyme with 6-15 heads. Each head has an involucre of 13-21 bracts measuring 5-6 mm in length. There are 8-13 ray flowers, the yellow ligules 7-10 mm long (occasionally absent), surrounding many yellow disk flowers, their corollas with 5 shallow teeth. The cylindrical achenes are about 2 mm long with a pappus of longer white hairs. Woolly groundsel blooms from May through July on open dry plains predominantly in western South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Collect seed in June-July
Germination: Seeds are dormant and are best planted in the fall.
Soils: Rocky
Light: Full sun
Water: Dry
Additional Notes
Woolly Groundsel can be used in rock gardens and other plantings that allow viewing of small specimens.