Hieracium albertinum
Encyclopedia
Hieracium albertinum, known as Western Hawkweed or Houndstongue Hawkweed, is a species
of the Hieracium
genus
that is very similar to Hieracium albiflorum
with white
flower
s but differs in that the flower heads
are clustered and the leaves, stems and bracts are covered in a thick layer of hairs
. Standing 1 inches (3 cm) to 5 inches (13 cm) tall, it can be found blooming from June through August in forest clearings.
Hieracium scouleri
or Scouler's woollyweed, which has also been accepted as a synonym for Hieracium albertinum, has a different distribution range and yellow flowers.
There is some concern for Hieracium albertinum (and other native species) because while they are members of the Hieracium genus whose introduced
species
are often aggressively invasive
or weedy, reproducing vegetatively
from aboveground runners called stolons or from wandering underground roots called rhizome
s, the less aggressive native
hawkweeds reproduce only by reseeding.
While not listed as endangered
, H. albertinum is somewhat threatened while its environment is overrun by the aggressive non-native family as well as being listed as a noxious weed due to its membership in the same genus.
and found east of the Cascades
in the states of Idaho
, Montana
, Oregon
, Washington and Wyoming
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the Hieracium
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"...
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...
that is very similar to Hieracium albiflorum
Hieracium albiflorum
The common wildflower Hieracium albiflorum is known by the names white hawkweed and white-flowered hawkweed.It is found in western North America, from Alaska to California and east to the Rockies...
with white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s but differs in that the flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
are clustered and the leaves, stems and bracts are covered in a thick layer of hairs
Trichome
Trichomes are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants and certain protists. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.- Algal trichomes :...
. Standing 1 inches (3 cm) to 5 inches (13 cm) tall, it can be found blooming from June through August in forest clearings.
Hieracium scouleri
Hieracium scouleri
Hieracium scouleri is a species of hawkweed known by the common name Scouler's woollyweed. It is native to western North America from Manitoba to California, where it grows in a variety of mountainous habitats. This plant produces a basal rosette of long, narrow leaves 10 to 20 centimeters long,...
or Scouler's woollyweed, which has also been accepted as a synonym for Hieracium albertinum, has a different distribution range and yellow flowers.
There is some concern for Hieracium albertinum (and other native species) because while they are members of the Hieracium genus whose introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are often aggressively invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
or weedy, reproducing vegetatively
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
from aboveground runners called stolons or from wandering underground roots called rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s, the less aggressive native
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
hawkweeds reproduce only by reseeding.
While not listed as endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, H. albertinum is somewhat threatened while its environment is overrun by the aggressive non-native family as well as being listed as a noxious weed due to its membership in the same genus.
Distribution
H. albertinum is native to North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and found east of the Cascades
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
in the states of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 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...
, Washington and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.