Krigia dandelion
Krigia cespitosa
potato dwarfdandelion, potato dwarfdandelion or dandelion, tuber dandelion, tuber dwarfdandelion
common dwarfdandelion, opposite-leaf dwarfdandelion, weedy dwarfdandelion
scapiform, erect, leafless and ebracteate, glabrous or minutely glandular-villous especially proximal to heads.
erect or ascending, branched, eglandular or stipitate-glandular, especially distally.
basal;
petioles usually broadly or narrowly winged;
blades linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, 6–24 cm, margins entire or remotely toothed to pinnately lobed, lobes usually entire and acute, apices acute to obtuse, faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparingly villous (glandular or eglandular, often glaucous).
basal and cauline; petiolate (at least basal);
blades broadly to narrowly oblanceolate, 2–15 cm, margins entire or remotely toothed or lobed, lobes acute or rounded, apices acute to obtuse, faces glabrous or lightly glandular-villous;
cauline appearing unequal and opposite proximal to distal peduncles, petiolate or sessile, blades oblanceolate to linear, gradually reduced, bases ± clasping, margins entire or dentate.
from basal rosettes.
from branching, leafy stems.
10–15 mm.
2–8 mm.
25–34;
corollas yellow to yellow-orange, abaxially often purplish-tinged, 15–25 mm.
12–35;
corollas yellow, 2–11 mm (barely equaling to much surpassing phyllaries).
12–16, reflexed in fruit, linear-lanceolate, midveins obscure, apices acute.
5–10, erect in fruit, narrowly to broadly lanceolate, midveins evident, not prominent or keeled, apices acute.
borne singly.
borne singly.
reddish brown, columnar, 2.5 mm, 10–15-ribbed;
pappi of ca. 10, outer scales 0.5–1 mm plus 25–45, barbellulate inner bristles 5–8 mm.
fusiform, 1.4–1.7 mm, broadest at or ± beyond middles (apical areas ± equal to basal areoles), 15-ribbed;
pappi 0.
= 60.
= 8.
Krigia dandelion
Krigia cespitosa
Krigia dandelion is known from the Eastern deciduous forest biome and tallgrass prairies. It is unique in propagating extensively by means of tubers. These were well described by T. Holm (1891). All chromosome counts to date have shown 2n = 60, the duodecaploid number based on x = 5.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
The name Krigia oppositifolia Rafinesque, long in use for this species, was not accepted by Rafinesque in his original publication and is therefore invalid.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Involucres 2–4.5 mm in flower, 3.5–5 mm in fruit; ligules 2–6 mm | var. cespitosa |
1. Involucres 4.5–7 mm in flower, 5.5–8.5 mm in fruit; ligules 6.5–11 mm | var. gracilis |
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