Senecio vulgaris, Senecio dunensis, Senecio radiatus,
Common Butterweed, Common Groundsel, Old-man-in-the-spring,
Hebrew: סביון פשוט, Arabic: الشيخة الشائعة

Scientific name:  Senecio vulgaris L.
Synonym name:  Senecio dunensis Dumort., Senecio radiatus W.D.J.Koch
Common name:  Common Butterweed, Common Groundsel, Old-man-in-the-spring
Hebrew name:  סביון פשוט
Arabic name:  الشيخة الشائعة
Family:  Compositae / Asteraceae, Sunflower family, משפחת המורכבים

Senecio vulgaris,Senecio dunensis, Senecio radiatus, Common Butterweed, Common Groundsel, Old-man-in-the-spring, סביון פשוט,  الشيخة الشائعة

Life form:  Annual
Spinescence:  Non- spinescent
Succulence:  Non-succulent
Stems:  Up to 40cm, weak, irregularly-branched stems
Leaves:  Coarsely pinnatifid
Inflorescence:  Capitula in corymbs, heads discoid, 8--20+ in loose, rounded to flat-topped clusters
Flowers:  No petals (ray flowers), just a greenish yellow disk about 6mm across that barely exceeds the cylindrical base (involucre) beneath it. There are up to 21 principal bracts (phyllaries), about 6mm long with an outer layer of about 10 shorter bracts. Bracts are hairless and green with conspicuous blackish tips. Stalks are hairless or variably covered in matted hairs.
Fruits / pods:  Achene, 1.5-2mm, appressed hairy between the ribs
Flowering Period:  February, March April
Habitat:   Disturbed habitats, Nutrient-rich soils, ruderal
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Mt. Hermon, Semi-steppe shrublands
Chorotype:  Euro-Siberian + Med + Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:  Ephemeral

Senecio vulgaris,Senecio dunensis, Senecio radiatus, Common Butterweed, Common Groundsel, Old-man-in-the-spring, סביון פשוט,  الشيخة الشائعة


Derivation of the botanical name:
Senecio, from senex, old man, referring to the gray hairs on the seeds.
vulgaris, common.
The Hebrew name: סביון, savion, from סב, sav (=old man); loan translation of the scientific name Senecio, from latin senecio, (=groundsel), from senex (=old man).
  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation Dumort is used to indicate Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier (1797 - 1878), a Belgian who conducted a parallel career of botanist and Member of Parliament.
  • The standard author abbreviation W.D.J.Koch is used to indicate Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch (1771 - 1849) , a German physician and botanist.

Senecio vulgaris,Senecio dunensis, Senecio radiatus, Common Butterweed, Common Groundsel, Old-man-in-the-spring, סביון פשוט,  الشيخة الشائعة