Senecio leptolepis Greene; S. rawsonianus Greene

Perennials (biennials?), 30–90 cm (caudices buttonlike, roots unbranched, fleshy-fibrous). Herbage loosely and sparsely arachnose to finely tomentose, unevenly glabrescent. Stems single. Leaves progressively reduced distally; petiolate; blades ovate or oblanceolate to oblong, 7–20 × 2–3 cm, bases broadly to narrowly tapered, margins repand-denticulate or sublaciniate to subentire (mid and distal leaves sessile, smaller, weakly clasping). Heads (6–)15–30+ in corymbiform arrays. Calyculi 0 or of 1–3+ oblong to linear bractlets (seldom more than 1.5 mm). Phyllaries ± 8 or ± 13, 4–8 mm, tips green or black. Ray florets 0 or 1–2; corolla laminae 4–7 mm. Cypselae glabrous. 2n = 40.

Flowering spring–early summer. Dry or drying sites in open woodlands, upper foothills and montane forests; 800–2500 m; Calif., Oreg.