Urospermum

Scopoli

Intr. Hist. Nat., 122. 1777.

Etymology: Greek uro, tail, and sperma, seed, alluding to beaks of cypselae
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 296. Mentioned on page 215.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA19 P28 Leontodon autumnalis.jpegLeontodon autumnalis
Urospermum picroides
Hypochaeris radicata
Bee F. Gunn
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Bee F. Gunn

Annuals [perennials], 10–40 (–60+) cm; taprooted. Stems usually 1, erect, branched distally, setose to hispid or glabrous [pilosulous]. Leaves mostly cauline (at flowering) [mostly basal]; proximal ± petiolate, distal sessile; blades of the proximal mostly obovate to oblong-obovate, usually pinnately lobed or dentate, distal ovate to linear (bases often clasping), ultimate margins dentate or entire (veins often setose on abaxial faces). Heads borne singly or in loose, corymbiform arrays. Peduncles little, if at all, inflated distally, rarely bracteate. Calyculi 0. Involucres ± urceolate, 10–20+ mm diam. Phyllaries 7–8 (–12+) in 1 (–2) series, ovatelanceolate to lance-linear (basally connate), subequal, margins scarious, apices acuminate. Receptacles flat to convex, pitted, hispid, epaleate. Florets 20–50+; corollas yellow, sometimes striped abaxially with red. Cypselae brown, bodies flattened-oblong, ± tuberculate, faces glabrous or scabrellous, beaks proximally dilated and tuberculate, distally acuminate and scabrous to scabrellous; pappi readily falling, of 18–22+ white [buff to rufous], subequal, plumose bristles in 1 (–2) series (basally connate, falling together). x = 5, 7?.

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, adjacent Africa and Asia, adventive in South America, s Africa

Discussion

Species 2 (1 in the flora).

"fine" is not a number.

... more about "Urospermum"
acuminate +
scarious +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
John L. Strother +
Scopoli +
decurrent +
scabrous +  and scabrellous +
acuminate +  and dilated +
compound +  and simple +
tuberculate +
flattened-oblong +
filiform +
subequal +
zygomorphic +, actinomorphic +  and (3-)5-merous +
striped abaxially with red +  and yellow +
tapered +, beaked +, flattened +, obcompressed +, compressed +, prismatic +, fusiform +, ellipsoid +, columnar +  and clavate +
ovate;linear +
Europe +, adjacent Africa and Asia +, adventive in South America +  and s Africa +
Greek uro, tail, and sperma, seed, alluding to beaks of cypselae +
scabrellous +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
in loose , corymbiform arrays +  and singly +
indeterminate +
each +  and sessile +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
sessile +  and petiolate +
divided +, lobed +  and dentate +
2-carpellate +
connate +  and distinct +
Intr. Hist. Nat., +
flat;convex +
lack1979a +
exalbuminous +
setose +  and hispid or glabrous +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +
Undefined tribe Lactuceae +
Urospermum +
Asteraceae tribe Cichorieae +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
shrub +  and subshrub +