Common Ragwort
Ragwort
| Irish name: | Buachalán buí |
| Scientific name: | Jacobaea vulgaris (Senecio jacobaea) |
| Family Group: | Asteraceae |
Abundant in grasslands, neglected areas, roadsides, and dunes. Flowering time: June-October. Biennial. Native.
Identification
The plant bears bright yellow flower heads arranged densely in corymbs, each adorned with numerous ray florets. Its basal and stem leaves are deeply pinnate with toothed segments and leafy stems. It can be either hairless or slightly woolly. While the fresh plant contains poisonous alkaloids avoided by grazing animals, it serves as a significant food source for caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth. It typically grows to heights ranging from 30 to 140cm.
More information at https://www.irishwildflowers.ie/pages/128a.html