Hypochaeris L.

Cat's Ear

Greek hypo — under, choiros — pig, a possible allusion to the roots being eaten by pigs.

Annual or perennial herbs, taprooted, hairy. Stems erect or ascending, scape-like. Leaves mostly basal, margins entire to divided, sessile or petiolate. Capitula radiate, terminal, solitary or in loose corymbs, with stalks. Involucral bracts in 3-5 rows, overlapping, unequal. Receptacle with scales, flat. Florets all bisexual, ligulate, yellow. Achenes cylindrical, ribbed, inner usually beaked. Pappus of basally broad, feathery bristles, sometimes of scales or rarely absent. [Hypochoeris L.]

Three species have become naturalised in Australia, mostly in disturbed sites.

Rosetted herbs with all florets ligulate; receptacle with scales.

About 60 species from Europe, North Africa, Asia and South America.

Source: Lawson, L.; Spencer, R. (2002). Dahlia. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Asteranae
order      Asterales
family       Asteraceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Hypochaeris radicata L.