Packera species were originally placed in the Senecio genus.  The Flora of North America and The Synthesis accept William Weber's 1981 genus name, Packera, but Intermountain Flora and A Utah Flora still accept Senecio as the name of this genus. 

   John Packer is a Canadian botanist.  (More biographical information.)

   See more Packera.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13 and 31, 2004.

Common in Canyon Country in mid-spring, Packera multilobata produces small but numerous bright yellow flowers atop many, deeply cut, lobed leaves.  Packera multilobata brightens shady Cottonwood groves, Pinyon/Juniper forests, and open, sandy, arid areas.

"Multilobata", Latin, means "many lobed" and refers to the leaves.

John Fremont collected the first specimens of this plant for science in the 1840s in California and John Torrey and Asa Gray named the plant Senecio multilobatus in 1849.  In 1981 Weber and Löve removed a number of species from the Senecio genus and placed them in a new genus, Packera. Click to see the note about Senecios.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13, 2004.

Packera multilobata might at first appear to have only disk flowers but eventually the ray flowers do appear.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13, 2004.

Packera multilobata frequently spreads over wide areas, producing a spectacular flowering.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer. 
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, June 12, 2005.

By early summer, Packera multilobata flowers have withered and silky pappus hairs are ready to carry seeds on summer breezes.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Packera multilobata