This introduction from Asia has been creeping westwards across Europe for the past century and has now become a troublesome annual weed in parts of eastern Europe. In the British Isles it was regarded as a rare alien but although still uncommon, its numbers are increasing.

The flowers are very like Senecio squalidus (Oxford Ragwort) having the same size of flower and both with black tipped involucral bracts. The big difference, visible with the naked eye is apparent in the young plants. They are covered in tangled hairs described as "arachnoid" in Clapham Tutin and Moore (3rd edition). This is a superb description and under the lens it looks as though small spiders have been busy in the axils of the leaves. As the plants gets older the hairiness becomes less apparent but can still be seen under a lens.

This colony of between 10 to 20 plants arose after the river banks had been improved and therefore disturbed. There are sites dotted over the British Isles for this plant but no heavy concentrations anywhere.

Senecio vernalis Eastern Groundsel Banks of River Mersey, Didsbury near Manchester 19th April 2007 Previous   Next	Senecio vernalis Eastern Groundsel showing hairs Banks of River Mersey, Didsbury near Manchester 19th April 2007 Previous   Next
Senecio vernalis Eastern Groundsel	Senecio vernalis Eastern Groundsel

Banks of River Mersey, Didsbury near Manchester 19th April 2007

Added on 3rd May 2007, updated 6th February 2012