Senecio viscosus
species of plant
Senecio viscosus is a herbaceous annual plant of the genus Senecio. It is known as the sticky ragwort, sticky groundsel, or stinking groundsel.
Description
An annual, growing to 70 cm high and covered with glandular hairs. Very similar to Senecio sylvaticus which does not have glandular hairs. The outer bracts show a brown tip. The ray-florets are ligulate, yellow and at first spreading then rolled back. The leaves are alternate and deeply lobed. Senecio vulgaris (Groundsel) does not have ray florets.
Distribution
Locally common in Britain and Ireland on waste ground. According to the USDA Plants database, the species has also been introduced in the United States (Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Idaho, Alaska) and Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Senecio viscosus” is species of plant. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Senecio, viscosus and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of plant” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 17, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3503708. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Senecio viscosus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Senecio viscosus primary sources, Senecio viscosus archive and Senecio research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Senecio viscosus”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Senecio viscosus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.