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Brazilian cat's ear, Tweedy's cat's ear

smooth cat's-ear

Habit Biennials or perennials, 30–70 cm; taproots vertical, deep, thick, caudices stout. Annuals, 10–50 cm; taproots slender, vertical; caudices small, ± herbaceous.
Stems

(1–5) erect or ascending, simple or sparingly branched distally, glabrous or pilose proximally.

(1–30), sparingly branched at midstem or distally (lateral branches often short, minutely bracteate or naked), glabrous.

Leaves

basal and proximally cauline;

basal blades elliptic to oblanceolate, 60–200 × 10–50 mm, margins coarsely and sharply dentate or 2-dentate, ciliate, faces glabrous or coarsely hirsute (cauline sessile, blades lanceolate, 50–100 × 10–30 mm, margins sharply dentate or pinnatifid; distal reduced, entire).

usually all basal;

blades oblanceolate to oblong, 20–110 × 5–30 mm, margins nearly entire to dentate or pinnatifid, faces usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes hirsute on veins.

Involucres

broadly campanulate, 10–20 × 5–20 mm.

narrowly campanulate, 8–16 × (3–)5–20 mm.

Florets

50–100+;

corollas yellow, 5–7 mm, equaling phyllaries at flowering.

20–40;

corollas white to yellowish, 5–8 mm, ± equaling phyllaries at flowering.

Phyllaries

20–30, linear-lanceolate, 4–15 mm, unequal, ± hirsute (at least medially).

18–20, lanceolate, 3–18 mm, unequal, margins scarious, faces glabrous (apices brownish or reddish, sometimes ciliate).

Heads

1–10, in loose, paniculiform to corymbiform arrays.

borne singly or 2–3 in loose, cymiform arrays (terminating branches, not showy).

Cypselae

monomorphic, all beaked;

bodies golden brown, fusiform, 8–10 mm, muricate, ribs 4–5;

pappi of white, plumose bristles in 1 series, 6–8 mm.

dimorphic, outer cylindric, stout, truncate, inner fusiform, slender, beaked;

bodies dark brown, 10-nerved, 8–10 mm, beaks 3–4 mm;

pappi of tawny bristles in 2 series, outer barbellate, shorter than plumose inner, longest 9–10 mm.

2n

= 8, 10.

= 8, 10, 12.

Hypochaeris chillensis

Hypochaeris glabra

Phenology Flowering Apr. Flowering Feb–Jun(–Dec).
Habitat Waste areas with sandy soil, roadsides, lawns Grassy slopes, sage scrub, pine-hardwood forest, disturbed areas, roadsides, commonly in sandy soil
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 100–1300 m (300–4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; South America [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
Europe [Introduced. B.C.. Ala., Ark., Calif., Fla., Ga., Ill., La., Maine, Mass., Miss., N.Y., N.C., Oreg., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Wash., W.Va.]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hypochaeris chillensis is recognized by the sharply dentate or pinnatifid cauline leaves, yellow corollas, and monomorphic, beaked cypselae. Plants in the flora area differ from those found elsewhere mainly in having the outer phyllaries somewhat more hirsute medially.

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

Hypochaeris glabra is usually distinguishable by its annual habit and relatively small size, slender and shallow roots, fine stems, often glabrous leaves, and beakless, truncate outer cypselae. Occasional specimens are larger and have induments characteristics of H. radicata; they can be distinguished by the dimorphic cypselae.

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

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 298. FNA vol. 19, p. 298.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Cichorieae > Hypochaeris Asteraceae > tribe Cichorieae > Hypochaeris
Sibling taxa
H. glabra, H. microcephala, H. radicata
H. chillensis, H. microcephala, H. radicata
Synonyms Apargia chillensis, Achyrophorus chillensis, H. brasiliensis, Porcellites brasiliensis
Name authority (Kunth) Britton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 19: 371. (1892) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 811. (1753)
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