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beak hawk's-beard, weedy hawksbeard

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

Habit Annuals, biennials, or perennials, 3–120 cm (taproots slender to thick, caudices swollen). Annuals, 10–100 cm (taproots shallow).
Stems

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

Leaves

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 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

cylindro-campanulate (becoming turbinate or urceolate in fruit), 5–14 × 5–6 mm.

cylindro-campanulate, 6–9 × 7–8 mm.

Florets

50–70;

corollas yellow (reddish abaxially), 6–15 mm.

30–70;

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

Phyllaries

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.

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 5–12, ovate to linear-lanceolate, glabrous bractlets 3–4 mm (reflexed in fruit, scarious).

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

Heads

10–20, in lax, corymbiform arrays.

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

Cypselae

(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.

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

= 8, 16.

= 8.

Crepis vesicaria

Crepis tectorum

Phenology Flowering Feb–Oct. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Sandy clearings, hillsides Dry, sandy, pine woods, disturbed places, abandoned fields, forest clearings, wooded slopes, dry streambeds
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CT; NC; NY; OR; PA; BC; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced, South 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

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 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. 238. 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. 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. tectorum, 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 805. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 807. (1753)
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