Hypochaeris glabra L. - Smooth Cat's Ear
Family - Asteraceae
Stems:
Flowering scape.
Leaves:
Basal leaves.
Inflorescence:
N/A
Involucre:
Ray flowers:
Fruiting head.
Beaked achene.
Non-beaked achene.
Disk flowers:
Absent.
Flowering - February - July.
Habitat - Roadsides, waste places, fields, pastures, disturbed sites.
Origin - Native to Europe.
Other information - This weedy little species can be found in southern Alabama. The plant can be identified by its basal rosette of pinnately-lobed leaves, its glabrous scapes, and its small yellow flower heads. The leaves can be glabrous to slightly hispid. The flowers barely exceed the rays of the involucre.
The fruits of H. gabra frequently (but not always) have both beaked and non-beaked achenes. The non-beaked achenes come from the outermost flowers.
The genus name Hypochaeris was a named used by Theophrastus for this genus or a similar genus. The name is derived from the Greek "hypo" meaning "under" and "chaer(i)" meaning "a young pig" maybe referring to the basal leaves growing so flat to the ground?
The species epithet glabra derives from the Latin "glab(r)" meaning "smooth" referring to nearly all parts of the plant.
Alabama Distribution:
Photographs taken off CR 243, Lee County, AL., 2-26-06.