Hypochaeris microcephala var. microcephala

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Compositae

The largest family of flowering plants , the Compositae (Asteraceae), comprising about 1,100 genera and more than 20,000 species and characterized by many small flowers arranged in a head looking like a single flower and subtended by an involucre of bracts. A head may consist of both ray flowers and disk flowers, as in the sunflower, of disk flowers only, as in the burdock, or of ray flowers only, as in the dandelion.

Tribe Lactuceae

The Lactuceae are a tribe of closely related genera of the sunflower family that are easily recognized because the flowering heads are composed of wholly of ligulate florets that are usually 5-lobed. Another very distinguishing feature is the milky sap . Although not apparent without magnification, the pollen is distinctive in that the spines are more or less restricted to discrete ridges or flanges on the surface of the grain. In other members of the family the spines are distributed more or less evenly over the surface of the pollen grain . The pappus usually consists of scales or stiff hairs . -- Gerald D. Carr.

Genus Hypochaeris

Annuals , biennials, or perennials , 10-60 cm; taprooted and with caudices. Stems 1-15, erect , branched or unbranched, glabrate or coarsely hirsute . Leaves basal or basal and proximally cauline; petiolate or sessile; blades oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic , margins entire or dentate to pinnately lobed (faces glabrous or hirsute). Heads borne singly or in loose , cymiform, paniculiform . or corymbiform arrays. Peduncles slightly inflated distally, minutely bracteate . Calyculi 0 (or indistinguishable from phyllaries) . Involucres cylindric or campanulate , 5-20 mm diam. (12-25 mm in fruit). Phyllaries 20-30 in 3-4 series, unequal. linear-lanceolate, glabrous, glabrate, or coarsely hirsute. Receptacles flat, slightly pitted , paleate; paleae linear to subulate , scarious . Florets 20-100+; corollas usually yellow or orange, sometimes grayish green or reddish abaxially, rarely white, (not deliquescent). Cypselae monomorphic (all beaked ) or dimorphic (outer truncate , inner beaked), usually brown to golden, bodies ellipsoid or fusiform , ribs 4-5 or 10. faces ± muricate , otherwise glabrous; pappi persistent , of 40-60+, white to tan bristles in 1 (all plumose ) or in 2 series (outer barbellate , shorter than plumose inner). x = 4, 5.

Species 60+: introduced ; South America, s Europe, n Africa, Asia.

Hypochaeris is similar to and closely related to Leontodon, from which it is distinguished mainly by its paleate receptacles and unequal phyllaries. Plumose pappus bristles are characteristic of both Hypochaeris and Leontodon. Molecular studies indicate the South American species of Hypochaeris are a monophyletic group derived from European stock that has undergone a recent and rapid radiation in the New World (R. Samuel et al. 2003). Two South American species are found as weeds in the flora area.[1]

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Similar Species

Members of the genus Hypochaeris

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 11 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

H. brasiliensis (Brazilian Catsear) · H. brasiliensis var. brasiliensis (Brazilian Catsear) · H. brasiliensis var. tweediei (Tweedys Catsear) · H. brasiliensis var. tweedyi (Tweedy's Catsear) · H. glabra (Smooth Cat's-Ear) · H. microcephala (Small-Head Cat's-Ear) · H. microcephala (Sch.Bip.) Cabrera var. albiflora (Kuntze) Cabrera (Smallhead Catsear) · H. microcephala var. albiflora (Smallhead Catsear) · H. microcephala var. microcephala (Smallhead Catsear) · H. radicata (Common Cat's-Ear) · H. sessiliflora (Cats Ear)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Samuel, R. et al. 2003. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Hypochaeris (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) based on ITS, plastid trnL intron, trnL-F spacer, and matK sequences. Amer. J. Bot. 90: 496-507.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 11, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 07, 2007:

• Avian Knowledge Network, Hawk Migration Association of North America - HawkCount
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity - Fish Collection
• Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles database

Identifiers

• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-528541
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13896733
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1502839

Footnotes

1. David J. Bogler "Hypochaeris". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 214, 216, 297, 298. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.