1. Crepis capillaris (L.) Wallr. (smooth hawksbeard)
Pl. 255 c–e; Map
1062
Plants annual or
biennial. Stems 10–40(–90) cm long, erect or ascending, unbranched or few- to
less commonly many-branched, not sticky, moderately to densely but
inconspicuously pubescent with cobwebby hairs (the minute, yellowish hairs
sometimes few-branched), at least toward the base and just below the heads,
often also with short, spreading, gland-tipped hairs toward the branch tips.
Basal leaves 3–20 cm long, sessile to long-petiolate, the blade unlobed or more
commonly irregularly pinnately lobed, the lobes spreading, mostly narrow,
bluntly to sharply triangular, the surfaces glabrous or sparsely and
inconspicuously pubescent with minute, curled to cobwebby, yellowish hairs.
Inflorescences sometimes relatively few-flowered, the heads often appearing in
loose clusters at the branch tips. Inner series of involucral bracts 8–16, 5–8
mm long, glabrous on the inner surface, the outer surface glabrous or minutely
pubescent with minute, cobwebby hairs, often also with a longitudinal band of
short, spreading, gland-tipped hairs, these with somewhat broadened bases, dark
green to black, the outer series of bracts much shorter than to about 1/2 as
long as the inner series. Receptacle glabrous. Ligulate florets 20–60, the
corolla 8–12 mm long. Pappus 3–4 mm long. Fruits all similar or nearly so, 1.5–2.5
mm long, narrowly oblong-elliptic in outline, not beaked, not expanded at the
tip, 10(–12)-ribbed, the ribs smooth or minutely roughened or barbed, light
brown to yellowish brown. 2n=6. July–October.
Introduced,
known thus far only from St. Louis County (native of Europe; introduced
sporadically nearly throughout temperate North America). Open, disturbed areas.
Crepis
capillaris is superficially
similar to C. tectorum but tends to have denser basal rosettes of leaves
at flowering time and fewer-headed inflorescences.