Narrow-leaved Ragwort
Senecio inaequidens
A single mature plant can produce up to thirty thousand seeds in a single year, which spread rapidly along train tracks via wind currents.
- Scientific name
- Senecio inaequidens
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Senecio
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Disturbed grasslands, railway lines, roadsides, and wasteland
- Diet
- Autotroph
- Range
- Southern Africa, Western Europe, Central Europe, Australia, South America
- Size
- Height 30–100 cm, spread 30–80 cm
- Lifespan
- 2–10 yr
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Targeted mechanical eradication and chemical herbicide application in areas where it is invasive
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to observe, but all parts contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids and are toxic if ingested by humans or animals. Wear gloves when pulling the plant to prevent potential skin irritation, and wash hands afterward. If ingested, seek medical advice or veterinary attention for pets and livestock immediately.
Senecio inaequidens , known as narrow-leaved ragwort and South African ragwort , is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae.
Photo: Andreas Rockstein, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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