Zoom in to see this specimen in detail. This is a dried Welsh
groundsel plant from the botany collection. Its scientific name
is Senecio cambrensis. It is a modern specimen, collected in
2008. This is just one of over 6 million plant specimens looked
after by the Museum. Comparing this specimen with others, it
shows some similar features to Oxford ragwort, Senecio
squalidus, and common groundsel, Senecio vulgaris. This is one
clue that Welsh groundsel arose from a hybrid, formed when the 2
other species bred together. Most plants of hybrid origin are
sterile, and die out, but Welsh ragwort is unusual – it is able
to reproduce and establish itself. Historical records of Senecio
in the UK indicate that this new species evolved recently, in
the 1940s. New species, like the Welsh groundsel, can quickly
become endangered because they start out as a few individuals,
living in a small area. This means they are very vulnerable to
change. Welsh groundsel only grows in a small corner of north-
east Wales. It grows on wa