Heads ligulate. Involucres cylindric or campanulate, 5–20 mm diam. (12–25 mm in fruit).

Phyllaries 20–30 in 3–4 series, unequal. linear-lanceolate, glabrous to glabrate.

Receptacles flat, slightly pitted, paleate; paleae linear to subulate, ca. 14 mm long, scarious.

Common Name(s)

Spurwort

Electronic links

Species Profile, USDA Plants Database:

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HYMI5

Species description from Flora ofNorth America on-line:

http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250006610

Ecology

Lawns, cultivated fields,roadsides,and thickets.

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Family

Rubiaceae        Madder Family

Flowering period

March to May, sometimes in the fall.

Flowers

Sepals--4-6 trianglar- lanceolate, presistent, and  accrescent in firit.

Corolla--blossom 4-5mm across, pale-lilac, with a long slender tube about twice the length of the 4-5 free lobes.

Stamens---4-5 insereted on the corolla throat or at the throat , the filments free , anthers2 ceell introse.

Pistal--- inferior ovary,2 or more carpals 2 locules, numberous ouvels, 1 style slender, 2 branched, stigma linuar, one on each branch.

Fruit

Achenes (cypselae) monomorphic (all are similar) with a slender cylindrical body ca. 5 mm long tapering to a slender beak about 5 mm long; pappus 1 row of plumose bristles, 5--8 mm long.

Geographic distribution

Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

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Inflorescences

Heads solitary on inflorescence branches.

Palea/Receptacular Bracts

Paleae linear to subulate, scarious, apices often 3-lobed and bristle tipped, central bristle 2--3 mm long.

Leaves

Leaves mostly in a basal rosette and proximally cauline; basal blades elliptic to oblanceolate, 6–20 cm long 10--50 mm wide, margins coarsely and sharply dentate or 2-dentate, ciliate, surfaces glabrous or coarsely hirsute (cauline sessile, blades lanceolate, 5–10 × 10–30 mm, margins sharply dentate or pinnatifid; distal reduced, entire).

Pappus

Pappus of plumose bristles in 1 row, 5--8 mm long.

Plant and Stem Features

Perennials to about 40 cm; with thick taproots and stout caudices. Stems 1--5, erect or ascending, simple or sparingly branched in the inflorescence, glabrous or pilose proximally.

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References

Bogler, David J. 2006.  Hypochaeris Linnaeus. In: Flora of North America North of Mexico. Flora of North America Editorial Committee. Vol. 19. Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford. Pages 297-299.  Electronic version: http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1

PlantNET: Botanic Gardens Trust ([May 2007]). PlantNET - The Plant Information Network System of Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hypochaeris~microcephala

USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 4 May 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ERVE

Species name

Hypochaeris microcephala (Schultz-Bipontinus) Cabrera