Packera serpenticola (Asteraceae; Senecioneae), an interesting arachnoid pubescent species restricted to dunite derived soils (olivine and serpentine) in Clay County, North Carolina, is described as new. The plants most closely resemble Packera aurea, a common species of the Appalachian region, but are diminutive in all parts, conspicuously arachnoid pubescent, especially when young, and dull gray in appearance. In addition to phenotypic differences, our molecular analysis with limited samples show that the two species have marked divergence at one nuclear gene (waxy) and one chloroplast intergenic spacer (psbA-trnH). Packera aurea is also absent on dunite.