Crepis
Encyclopedia
Crepis, commonly known in some parts of the world as hawksbeard or hawk's-beard (but not to be confused with the related genus Hieracium
similarly appellated), is a genus
of about 200 annual
and perennial
flowering plants of the family
Asteraceae
superficially resembling the dandelion
, the most conspicuous difference being that Crepis usually has branching scapes with multiple heads
(though solitary heads can occur). The name Crepis derives from Greek
, meaning "shoe".
Species can be found all through the Northern Hemisphere
and tropical Africa
.
Crepis species are used as food plants by the larva
e of some Lepidoptera
species including the broad-barred white
moth. The fly
Tephritis formosa
is known to attack the capitula
of this plant.
In Crete
, Greece
the leaves of Crepis commutata which is called glykosyrida (γλυκοσυρίδα) is eaten raw, boiled, steamed or browned in salads. Another two species on the same island, Crepis vesicaria, called kokkinogoula (κοκκινογούλα), lekanida (λεκανίδα) or prikousa (πρικούσα) and a local variety called maryies (μαργιές) or pikrouses (πικρούσες) have both its leaves and tender shoots eaten boiled by the locals.
Hieracium
Hieracium known by its common name Hawkweed and long ago by its classical name hierakion which comes from the ancient Greek hierax, "a hawk"...
similarly appellated), is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 200 annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
and perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
flowering plants of the family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
superficially resembling the dandelion
Taraxacum
Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North America, and two species, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide. Both species are edible in their entirety...
, the most conspicuous difference being that Crepis usually has branching scapes with multiple heads
Capitulum
The term Capitulum can refer to several things:*In botany, a type of flower head where the bracts are located under the basis, such as a daisy's*Also in botany, the top of a Sphagnum moss plant with compact clusters of young branches....
(though solitary heads can occur). The name Crepis derives from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, meaning "shoe".
Species can be found all through the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and tropical Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Crepis species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including the broad-barred white
Broad-barred White
The Broad-barred White is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is distributed throughout Europe and is also found in Turkey, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Kirghizia, Tajikistan, western Siberia and China....
moth. The fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
Tephritis formosa
Tephritis formosa
Tephritis formosa is a European species of tephritid fly also known by the common name Gall Fly . Adults females are about 5-6mm in length with wings of about 4-5mm, males are slightly smaller being about 4-5mm in length with wings of about 4-4.5mm...
is known to attack the capitula
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
of this plant.
In Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
the leaves of Crepis commutata which is called glykosyrida (γλυκοσυρίδα) is eaten raw, boiled, steamed or browned in salads. Another two species on the same island, Crepis vesicaria, called kokkinogoula (κοκκινογούλα), lekanida (λεκανίδα) or prikousa (πρικούσα) and a local variety called maryies (μαργιές) or pikrouses (πικρούσες) have both its leaves and tender shoots eaten boiled by the locals.
Selected species
- Crepis acuminataCrepis acuminataCrepis acuminata is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name tapertip hawksbeard. It is native to the western United States where it grows in many types of open habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a woolly, branching stem up to about 70 centimeters tall from a...
- tapertip hawksbeard - Crepis bakeriCrepis bakeriCrepis bakeri is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name Baker's hawksbeard. It is native to the western United States where it grows in many types of mountain and plateau habitat. This is a perennial herb producing a dark green, hairy, glandular stem up to about...
- Baker's hawksbeard - Crepis biennis - rough hawksbeard
- Crepis capillaris - smooth hawksbeard
- Crepis foetida - stinking hawksbeard
- Crepis intermediaCrepis intermediaCrepis intermedia is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name limestone hawksbeard. It is native to western North America, where it grows in many types of open and forested habitat. It is a perennial herb growing an erect, multibranched stem from a thick taproot,...
- limestone hawksbeard - Crepis modocensisCrepis modocensisCrepis modocensis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name Modoc hawksbeard. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in several types of mountain and plateau habitat, including sagebrush...
- Modoc hawksbeard - Crepis mollis - northern hawksbeard
- Crepis monticolaCrepis monticolaCrepis monticola is a species of wildflower in the daisy family known by the common name mountain hawksbeard. This asterlike flower is native to Oregon and northern California, where it grows in woodlands and dry forests. It is a taprooted perennial which rarely exceeds 30 centimeters in height...
- mountain hawksbeard - Crepis nanaCrepis nanaCrepis nana is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name dwarf alpine hawksbeard. It is native to much of northern North America and northern Asia, where it is a plant of the alpine climate and maritime regions across the Arctic. It grows in scree, on gravelly...
- dwarf alpine hawksbeard - Crepis nicaeensis - French hawksbeard
- Crepis occidentalisCrepis occidentalisCrepis occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name largeflower hawksbeard. It is native to most of western North America, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb growing a grayish woolly branching stem to about 40 centimeters in...
- largeflower hawksbeard - Crepis paludosaCrepis paludosaCrepis paludosa, the Marsh Hawksbeard, is found beside shady burns, and in other damp shady places.Flower diameter c 1.5-2.5 cm...
- marsh hawksbeard - Crepis pleurocarpaCrepis pleurocarpaCrepis pleurocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name nakedstem hawksbeard. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California and western Nevada, where it grows in dry, wooded or open habitat, sometimes on serpentine soils...
- nakedstem hawksbeard - Crepis praemorsa - leafless hawksbeard
- Crepis rubra - red hawksbeard
- Crepis runcinataCrepis runcinataCrepis runcinata is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name fiddleleaf hawksbeard. It is native to western and central North America, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a variable species with many subspecies...
- fiddleleaf hawksbeard - Crepis setosa - bristly hawksbeard
- Crepis sibirica
- Crepis sodiroiCrepis sodiroiCrepis sodiroi is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Crepis tectorumCrepis tectorumThe Narrowleaf Hawksbeard, Crepis tectorum, is a annual or winter annual plant ranging from 30-100cm in height. It is an invasive species and during maturity it has one main stem, which is branched, hairless, and leafy. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner and are less than 0.5 inches...
- narrow-leaved hawksbeard - Crepis vesicaria - beaked hawksbeard