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crépis capillaire, smooth hawk's-beard

annual hawksbeard, crépis des troits, narrow-leaf hawk's-beard, rooftop hawksbeard

Habit Annuals or biennials, 10–90 cm (taproots shallow). Annuals, 10–100 cm (taproots shallow).
Stems

1(–6+), erect to ± procumbent, usually simple (usually with single stout leader, sometimes multiple with slender laterals), hispid proximally or throughout.

1, erect (fistulose), branched distally or from bases, tomentulose and/or hispid.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

petiolate (petiole bases clasping);

blades lanceolate or oblanceolate, runcinate or lyrate, 5–30 × 1–4.5 cm, margins pinnately divided to sharply dentate (lobes remote, unequal), apices obtuse or acute, mucronate, faces glabrous or sparsely hispid (hairs yellow; proximal cauline auriculate and clasping).

basal and cauline;

petiolate;

blades lanceolate to oblanceolate, often coarsely runcinate, 5–15 × 1–4 cm, margins entire, denticulate, or dentate to pinnately lobed (lobes remote, coarse, unequal), apices acute to acuminate, abaxial faces glabrous or tomentose, adaxial glabrous (proximal cauline sessile, bases auriculate, distal usually linear, entire).

Involucres

cylindric to turbinate, 5–8 × 3–6 mm.

cylindro-campanulate, 6–9 × 7–8 mm.

Florets

20–60;

corollas deep yellow (reddish abaxially), 8–12 mm (hairy).

30–70;

corollas yellow (without red on ligules), 10–13 mm.

Phyllaries

8–16, lanceolate, 6–7 mm (margins scarious), apices acute, abaxial faces stipitate-glandular and glandular setose (setae black, usually in 2 rows), adaxial glabrous.

12–15, lanceolate, 5–9 mm, (bases becoming keeled and thickened, margins scarious), apices acute to attenuate (white-ciliate, tomentulose), abaxial faces tomentose to hispidulous, adaxial with fine, appressed hairs.

Calyculi

of 8, linear, tomentulose or stipitate-glandular bractlets 2–4 mm.

of ± 12, subulate, tomentose and hispidulous bractlets 2–5 mm (often becoming scarious).

Heads

10–15(–30+), in corymbiform arrays.

5–20(–100+), in paniculiform or corymbiform arrays.

Cypselae

brownish yellow, fusiform, 1.5–2.5 mm, apices narrowed (not beaked), ribs 10 (glabrous or scabrous);

pappi white (fluffy), 3–4 mm (scarcely surpassing phyllaries).

dark reddish or purplish brown, fusiform, 3–4 mm, apices constricted (not beaked), ribs 10 (rounded, minutely spiculate);

pappi white (fine, soft), 4–5 mm.

2n

= 6.

= 8.

Crepis capillaris

Crepis tectorum

Phenology Flowering May–Nov. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Meadows, pastures, lawns, roadsides, fields, waste places Dry, sandy, pine woods, disturbed places, abandoned fields, forest clearings, wooded slopes, dry streambeds
Elevation 0–1300 m (0–4300 ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; NB; NS; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; CT; DC; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; LB; MB; NB; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced, Asia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Crepis capillaris is recognized by its shallow root system, dense rosettes of coarsely dentate or pinnately lobed leaves, erect slender stems, auriculate-based cauline leaves, relatively small heads, phyllaries with double rows of black setae, and fluffy white pappi. It is weedy and can become a serious lawn pest. It is one of only three species of Crepis with 2n = 6; E. B. Babcock (1947) considered it to be advanced in the genus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Crepis tectorum is recognized by its annual habit, keeled phyllaries with minute hairs on adaxial faces, and dark reddish or purplish brown cypselae. It is widespread, often abundant, occurs in a great variety of habitats, and is considered a noxious weed in some states.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 228. FNA vol. 19, p. 238.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Cichorieae > Crepis Asteraceae > tribe Cichorieae > Crepis
Sibling taxa
C. acuminata, C. atribarba, C. bakeri, C. barbigera, C. biennis, C. bursifolia, C. elegans, C. foetida, C. intermedia, C. modocensis, C. monticola, C. nana, C. nicaeënsis, C. occidentalis, C. pannonica, C. pleurocarpa, C. pulchra, C. rubra, C. runcinata, C. setosa, C. tectorum, C. vesicaria, C. zacintha
C. acuminata, C. atribarba, C. bakeri, C. barbigera, C. biennis, C. bursifolia, C. capillaris, C. elegans, C. foetida, C. intermedia, C. modocensis, C. monticola, C. nana, C. nicaeënsis, C. occidentalis, C. pannonica, C. pleurocarpa, C. pulchra, C. rubra, C. runcinata, C. setosa, C. vesicaria, C. zacintha
Synonyms Lapsana capillaris, C. cooperi, C. virens
Name authority (Linnaeus) Wallroth: Linnaea 14: 657. (1840) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 807. (1753)
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