Crepis vesicaria
Crepis acuminata
beak hawk's-beard, weedy hawksbeard
long-leaf hawksbeard, tall hawksbeard, taper-tip hawksbeard
1, erect to arcuate or decumbent (green or purple proximally), usually much branched, glabrate to hispid and/or tomentose, sometimes sparsely setose (setae black).
1–5, erect, stout, branched near or beyond middles, tomentulose (at least proximally).
basal and cauline;
petiolate (bases clasping);
blades oblanceolate to ovate, often runcinate, 10–35 × 2–8 cm, margins pinnately lobed to toothed (terminal lobes relatively large), apices obtuse or acute, faces usually hirsute (hairs sometimes only on veins) or glabrous (cauline sessile, bases auriculate, clasping, margins ± toothed).
basal and cauline;
petiolate;
blades elliptic to lanceolate, 8–40 × 0.5–6(–11) cm, margins deeply pinnately lobed, lobes 5–10 pairs, usually lobed (± halfway to midveins, lobes entire), apices long-acuminate, faces ± tomentulose.
cylindro-campanulate (becoming turbinate or urceolate in fruit), 5–14 × 5–6 mm.
cylindro-campanulate, 8–16 × 2–3 mm.
50–70;
corollas yellow (reddish abaxially), 6–15 mm.
5–10(–15);
corollas yellow, 10–18 mm.
7–16, (reflexed at maturity) lanceolate, 10–12 mm, (margins green to yellowish), apices obtuse or acute (ciliate), abaxial faces tomentose and often stipitate-glandular, adaxial with fine, appressed hairs.
5–8, (medially green) lanceolate, 8–12 mm, (margins yellowish, often scarious), apices acute (ciliate), abaxial faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely tomentulose, adaxial glabrous.
of 5–12, ovate to linear-lanceolate, glabrous bractlets 3–4 mm (reflexed in fruit, scarious).
of 5–7, triangular, tomentulose bractlets 1–2 mm.
10–20, in lax, corymbiform arrays.
30–70(–100+), in compound, corymbiform arrays.
(monomorphic or dimorphic) pale brown or yellowish, fusiform, 4–9 mm, outer wider with apices attenuate (not beaked), inner gradually tapered, beaked (beaks 2–5 mm, ± equal to bodies), ribs 10 (narrow);
pappi white (fine, soft), 3–6 mm.
pale yellowish brown, subcylindric, 6–9 mm, apices ± narrowed (not beaked), ribs 12;
pappi white, 6–9 mm.
= 8, 16.
= 22, 33, 44, 55, 88.
Crepis vesicaria
Crepis acuminata
Native to the Mediterranean region of western Europe, Crepis vesicaria is recognized by its annual or biennial habit, pinnately lobed leaves, reflexed calyculi, tomentose and glandular phyllaries, and slender, long-beaked inner cypselae. It is polymorphic; subspecies are recognized in Europe. E. B. Babcock (1947) identified the North American plants as subsp. taraxaciflora (Thuiller) Thellung, which some Europeans (T. G. Tutin et al. 1964–1980, vol. 4) have listed as a synonym of subsp. haenseleri (Boissier ex de Candolle) P. D. Sell.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Crepis acuminata is identified by the narrow, pinnately lobed leaves cleft about half way to the midrib and with long-acuminate apices, heads with relatively few florets, relatively small involucres, and glabrous phyllaries. The fertile diploid form of this species is most widespread (E. B. Babcock 1947). In addition, there are apomictic, polyploid populations. The latter often are more variable in leaf size, shape, and indument, and can be difficult to distinguish from C. pleurocarpa and C. intermedia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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