Packera glabella (Butterweed) on 5-25-22, #884-4.

Butterweed, Cress-Leaf Groundsel, Yellowtop

Packera glabella

PAK-er-uh  gla-BEL-uh

Synonyms of Packera glabella (7) (Updated on 12-3-23 from Plants of the World Online): Senecio carolinianus Spreng. (1826), Senecio densiflorus M.Martens (1841)(nom. illeg.), Senecio glabellus Poir. (1806), Senecio glabellus f. robustior Greenm. (1915), Senecio lobatus Pers. (1807), Senecio lyratus Michx. (1803), Senecio mississipianus DC. (1838)

Packera glabella (Poir.) C.Jeffrey is the accepted scientific name for this species of Packera. It was named and described as such by Charles Jeffrey in Kew Bulletin in 1992. It was first named and described as Senecio glabellus by Jean Louis Marie Poiret in Encyclopedie Methodique. Botanique in 1806.

The genus, Packera Á.Löve & D.Löve, was named and described as such by Áskell Löve and Doris Löve in Botaniska Notiser in 1976.

As of 12-3-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 76 species in the Packera genus. It is a member of the plant family Asteraceae with 1,702 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

Distribution map of Packera glabella from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on November 28, 2022.

The above distribution map for Packera glabella is from Plants of the World Online. The map on the USDA Plants Database is similar and also includes the state of South Dakota. 

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

Packera glabella (Butterweed) on 5-25-22, #884-5.

I have been back on the family farm since 2013 and started identifying wildflowers shortly after that. It is always amazing how after being here that long, I am still finding new wildflowers I hadn’t seen before. In 2022, the chickweed got really carried away in an area behind the chicken house. It was so thick it was crazy. On May 25, I decided to see if I could find the violets in the area through all the mess of chickweed. But, instead, I saw a yellow flower sticking out above the chickweed. I walked over to it and found a plant I hadn’t seen before. I took a lot of photos and wound up with three that were pretty good. I uploaded them on iNaturalist to get an ID. The name Packera glabella was the first suggestion and after further research on the Missouri Plants website, I believe they hit the nail on the head…

Packera glabella (Butterweed) on 5-25-22, #884-6.

As I mentioned, I had not seen this species on the farm before, and only finding one plant makes me wonder how on earth it got here. I was hoping it would return in 2023 so I could get more photos, but I didn’t find any. The summer of 2023 was so hot and dry and many wildflowers dried up…

I will come back later and write descriptions. Updating this site is a winter project when I update all the pages, add new photos to old pages, and write new pages. Writing descriptions is fairly difficult for me, so I usually follow up after the updates are made. There are several links at the bottom of the page that can help you make a positive ID.

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, collecting plants, and identifying wildflowers. The farm is in Pettis County but Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away. I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
DAVE’S GARDEN
FLORA FINDER
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
MY GARDENER SAYS…
NATURALIST NEWSLETTER
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
U.S. WILDFLOWERS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant database and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂