Hairy Hawkbit
Scientific Name: Crepis capillaris L.
Family: Asteraceae
MORPHOLOGY
Habit and Size: An annual herbaceous plant (rarely biennial), glabrous or nearly so, with a shallow taproot, reaching heights of 10-90 cm.
Stem: Erect stem with branching from the base. Each plant can have up to 6 stems. The stem is light green with violet veins.
Leaves: The basal leaves have petioles and form a rosette; the blade ranges from lanceolate to spatulate with entire or dentate margins (the leaves can also be pinnately lobed with lobes incised). Size of basal leaves: width 2 – 4.5 cm; length 6 – 30 cm. The cauline leaves, of amplexicaul type, are narrower with elongated basal teeth. The leaves along the stem are arranged alternately.
Flowers: The inflorescences are composed of capitula (10 to 15) of about 10 mm, terminal, pedunculate, erect, and very numerous; they are also erect before anthesis. The flowers (from 20 to 60 per capitulum), all ligulate, bloom from May to July.
Fruits and Seeds: The fruits are achenes without beak and with pappus. The brown achenes are 1.4 – 2.5 mm long with 10 smooth longitudinal ribs (or veins).
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Present but rare throughout Italy except for the major islands, Calabria, and Marche. It grows in fallow lands, fields, ruderal areas, and even in meadows, from sea level up to 600 m.
Photo: Under a free license by Saxifraga and Ed Stikvoort, Jan van der Straaten, Peter Meininger, Rutger Barendse
