Birding Travels
In North America

Wooton's Groundsel - Senecio wootonii
Iron Creek Campground
Black Range, New Mexico, USA
March 11, 2017

As seen in the BONAP range map to the right, the range of Senecio wootonii, within the United States, is limited to the Rocky Mountain southwest.  This species is also found in the states of Coahuila and Chihuahua in Mexico.  All in all, a rather limited range. (To the south it appears to be replaced by Senecio toluccanus.)

Scientific synonyms for this species include Senecio anacletus (Greene).  Other English  Common Names include Wooton’s Ragwort.

This species was first described by Edward Lee Green (photo right).  He is credited with naming or redescrbiing over 4,400 plant species in the western United States.  The photograph to the right was taken shortly before his death.

The type specimen (see below) for this species was collected by Wooton in the White Mountains of New Mexico on 15 August 1897.  Elmer Ottis Wooton is one of the great botanists of the American southwest and he was the territory of New Mexico’s first Resident Plant Scientist, receiving that appointment in January 1890.  His appointment was for service at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in Las Cruces (now NMSU).