Packera indecora
Rayless mountain ragwort, Rayless Mountain Ragwort
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Packera indecora (Rayless mountain ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by discoid heads (usually no ray flowers).
Rayless mountain ragwort is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in damp stream areas, meadows, and woodlands at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces yellow disk flowers in clusters with no ray flowers, creating distinctive discoid heads 8 to 20 millimeters across. Growing with 1 to 3 loosely clustered stems 10 to 80 centimeters tall from a branched taprooted caudex, it develops progressively smaller leaves up the stem. Its basal leaves are 2 to 5 centimeters long, elliptic-ovate to nearly kidney-shaped, with coarsely toothed edges and a heart-shaped or truncate base. The plant's green phyllaries with reddish tips and its ability to produce multiple stem variations make it a unique woodland species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species. Distinguished by discoid heads (usually no ray flowers).
Habitat and range
Habitat: Damp areas along streams, meadows, woodland
Elevation: < 2300 m
Outside California: Washington to Alaska, eastern Canada, Wyoming, also Michigan, Minnesota
Bloom period
Packera indecora blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Senecio: Packera has green or red bract tips and fibrous roots; Senecio often has black bract tips and taproots.; vs Jacobaea: Packera is native with soft-toothed leaf margins; Jacobaea is non-native with harder-edged leaves.; vs Arnica: Packera has alternate leaves and many small heads; Arnica has opposite leaves and fewer large heads.; vs Eriophyllum: Packera has green leaves with soft hairs; Eriophyllum has densely woolly gray-white leaves.; vs Eriogonum: Packera has yellow daisy flowers; buckwheat has ball-like clusters of tiny pink/white/yellow flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Packera indecora native to California?
Yes. Packera indecora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera indecora bloom?
Packera indecora blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Packera indecora belong to?
Packera indecora is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
Is Packera indecora rare or endangered?
Packera indecora carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S2?.
What habitat does Packera indecora grow in?
Packera indecora grows in Damp areas along streams, meadows, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.