HYPOCHAERIS GLABRA

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Smooth catsear

Synonyms:- Hypochaeris radicata subsp. glabra.

Meaning:- Hypochaeris (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher

Theophrastus.

Glabra (L) Smooth, without hairs, glabrous.

General description:- Perennial.

Stems:-

1) 1-40 cm, usually branched, slightly to strongly thickened immediately below the

capitula, glabrous, rarely setulose or prickly, usually with remote scales or

leaves above.

Leaves:-

1) 1-20 cm, oblanceolate or spathulate, dentate to pinnatifid, glabrous to puberulent,

rarely setulose-hispid.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula, 5-15 mm wide.

2) Involucral bracts, up to 21 x 2·5 mm, in several rows, glabrous, or sparsely long-

setose on the mid-vein.

3) Ligules bright or pale yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, marginal 2·5-6 mm, unbeaked, sometimes absent.

2) Achenes, inner 6-8·5(-13·5) mm, long-beaked or unbeaked; with a pappus of 2

rows of hairs:

a) outer 3-6 mm, scabrid or sparsely softly plumose.

b) inner 9·5-15 mm, plumose, not dilated at the base.

Key features:-

1) Outer row of pappus-hairs 3-6 mm; inner row 9·5-15 mm, not dilated at the base.

2) Involucral bracts up to 25 mm.

3) Marginal achenes 2·5-6 mm, unbeaked, inner 6-8·5(-13·5) mm, beaked or

unbeaked.

4) Capitula 5-15 mm wide.

5) Leaves glabrous to puberulent, rarely setulose- hispid.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy coastal habitats, fallow fields, olive groves, open dry shrubby

vegetation. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Most of Europe and the Mediterranean area, widely naturalised in

temperate regions. Scattered occurrences in the western half of Crete, not

common.

Flowering time:- End of Mar to mid-June.

Photos by:- Charalambos Chiotelis