senecios

Senecio is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as groundsel and ragwort. The genus comprises hundreds of species that range from herbaceous annuals and perennials to shrubs and many succulent forms. They are found across much of the world, with wide representation in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Taxonomically, Senecio is placed in the tribe Senecioneae. Molecular studies have led to revisions, and many species formerly included in Senecio have been reassigned to other genera such as Jacobaea, Curio, and Kleinia. Notable examples include Jacobaea vulgaris (the common ragwort) and Curio rowleyanus (string of pearls, formerly Senecio rowleyanus).

Plants in the genus display substantial morphological diversity. They can be herbaceous or woody, with leaves that are simple, lobed, or pinnate. Most species form flower heads typical of the Asteraceae, usually with yellow florets, and produced in terminal or axillary inflorescences. Seeds are achenes often dispersed by a pappus of fine bristles.

Ecologically, senecios occur in disturbed habitats, grasslands, woodlands, and rocky slopes, and they attract a range of pollinators. Many species contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can be toxic to livestock and humans if ingested, particularly in grazed plants. In horticulture, several species are valued as ornamentals for foliage or flowers, and some succulent forms are popular as houseplants, though taxonomic changes mean the exact species and their placement may vary by source.