title: Scapisenecio pectinatus
text: # Scapisenecio pectinatus
  
  Scapisenecio pectinatus, synonym Senecio pectinatus, commonly known as alpine groundsel, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. The species occurs in alpine areas of south-eastern Australia in peat-based soils. It has divided leaves forming a basal rosette and produces a single yellow flower head (up to 30 mm diameter) on a stalk up to 20 cm high.
  
  ## Taxonomy
  
  The species was first described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1838 as Senecio pectinatus. It was transferred to the new genus Scapisenecio in 2020 as a result of a molecular phylogenetic study of Australian species in the tribe Senecioneae.
  
  Two varieties are currently recognised:
  
  * Scapisenecio pectinatus var. major (F.Muell. ex Belcher) Schmidt-Leb. (Victoria and New South Wales)
  * Scapisenecio pectinatus var. pectinatus (Victoria and Tasmania) It has small leaves with the tips of the divided segments curving inwards.
  
  A white-flowering variety, formerly Senecio pectinatus var. ochroleucus F.Muell., was promoted to species status in 2004 as Senecio albogilvus I.Thomps., and then transferred to Scapisenecio as Scapisenecio albogilvus.
  
  