Hypochaeris microcephala
Hypochaeris microcephala var. albiflora
smallhead cat's ear
smallhead cat's ear
erect, simple or branched distally, glabrous or sparsely hairy proximally.
basal and proximally cauline;
basal blades narrowly oblanceolate, 40–102(–250) × 10–50 mm, margins entire to sharply dentate or deeply pinnatifid (lobes long and narrow, ciliate), faces glabrous or ± glabrate; (cauline blades not clasping, distally reduced, margins shallowly dentate to coarsely pinnatifid).
cylindric or narrowly campanulate, 8–15(–18) × 5–10(–12) mm.
50–100+;
corollas white, 5–7 mm, not surpassing phyllaries at flowering.
20–24, narrowly lanceolate, 1–14 mm, unequal, margins scarious (apices darkened), faces glabrous or sparsely tomentulose.
borne singly or 2–13 in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays.
monomorphic, all beaked (beaks 4–5 mm);
bodies brown, fusiform, 7–8 mm, 10-nerved, muricate-roughened;
pappi of white, plumose bristles in 1 series, 7–8 mm.
= 8, 10.
Hypochaeris microcephala
Hypochaeris microcephala var. albiflora
Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).
Hypochaeris microcephala is distinguished by the perennial habit, presence of cauline leaves, relatively small heads, and white corollas. It is most similar to H. chillensis; it usually has smaller heads with fewer florets and glabrous phyllaries.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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