Crepis pleurocarpa
Encyclopedia
Crepis 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 soil
s. It is a taproot
ed perennial herb producing a branching stem to 60 centimeters in maximum height. The mostly lance-shaped leaves are lobed and long near the base of the plant, approaching 30 centimeters in maximum length, and smaller and sometimes unlobed farther up the stem. The inflorescence
is an open array of many flower heads
, each with pointed phyllaries
with thick midribs and thinner, hair-lined edges. The flower head has 5 to 8 golden yellow ray florets. The fruit is a narrow, ribbed achene
with a whitish 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 nakedstem hawksbeard. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it grows in dry, wooded or open habitat, sometimes on serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s. 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 herb producing a branching stem to 60 centimeters in maximum height. The mostly lance-shaped leaves are lobed and long near the base of the plant, approaching 30 centimeters in maximum length, and smaller and sometimes unlobed farther up the stem. 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 an open array of many 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 with pointed phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
with thick midribs and thinner, hair-lined edges. The flower head has 5 to 8 golden yellow ray florets. The fruit is a narrow, ribbed 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 whitish 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...
.