Crepis monticola
Encyclopedia
Crepis 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 taproot
ed perennial which rarely exceeds 30 centimeters in height. The dense foliage is made up of highly lobed and toothed leaves forming a wrinkled, bristly clump. It is often covered in sticky exudate. The inflorescence
is a cluster of several flower heads
, each made up of about 20 golden yellow ligules with toothed tips. The fruit is a small achene
with a white pappus
.
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...
known by the common name mountain hawksbeard. This asterlike flower is native to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, where it grows in woodlands and dry forests. It is a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
ed perennial which rarely exceeds 30 centimeters in height. The dense foliage is made up of highly lobed and toothed leaves forming a wrinkled, bristly clump. It is often covered in sticky exudate. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a cluster of several flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
, each made up of about 20 golden yellow ligules with toothed tips. The fruit is a small achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a white pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
.