Hypochaeris glabra
Encyclopedia
Hypochaeris glabra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name smooth cat's ear. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa but it can be found on other continents where it is an introduced species
and a widespread weed. This is an annual herb growing a small taproot
, a basal rosette of leaves, and one or more thin stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are 2 to 10 centimeters long, smooth along the edges or with small lobes, and green in color, sometimes with a purplish tint near the veins. Atop the thin, naked stems are flower heads
with small overlapping purple-tipped phyllaries
and bright yellow ray florets. The fruit is a cylindrical achene
with a white pappus
almost a centimeter long.
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 smooth cat's ear. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa but it can be found on other continents where it is an introduced species
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...
and a widespread weed. This is an annual herb growing a small 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...
, a basal rosette of leaves, and one or more thin stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are 2 to 10 centimeters long, smooth along the edges or with small lobes, and green in color, sometimes with a purplish tint near the veins. Atop the thin, naked stems are flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with small overlapping purple-tipped 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...
and bright yellow ray florets. The fruit is a cylindrical 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...
almost a centimeter long.