Hieracium maculatum — spotted hawkweed
![Leaves: Hieracium maculatum. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/hieracium-maculatum-le-efarnsworth.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
Spotted hawkweed is similar to common hawkweed, but it has spotted leaves. It is cultivated as an ornamental, and only very rarely escapes from gardens. It has been collected in Maine and Vermont.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Disk flower number
- 0
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Disk flower color
- NA
- Disk flower lobe number
- 0
- Disk flower number
- 0
- Disk flower proportions
- NA
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Disk flower shape
- NA
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head profile
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Ovary beak
- there is no beak on the ovary
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
-
- there are seven to nine ribs visible on the ovary
- there are ten or more ribs visible on the ovary
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have both carpels and stamens
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Style branch number
- there are no obvious branches on the style
-
Fruits or seeds
- Dispersal unit
- the seeds fall off or are dispersed separately from one another
- Ovary beak length
- 0 mm
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs are hooked or barbed
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
-
Glands or sap
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is milky and opaque, and may be white or colored
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
- there are no stolons
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there are noticeable spots, patches or stripes on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
None
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
7. Hieracium maculatum Sm. E
spotted hawkweed. ME, VT. Fields, roadsides, shorelines, clearings.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Hieracium lachenalii:
- leaf blades green, without red marks (vs. H. maculatum, with leaf blades streaked or blotched with red to red-purple). Hieracium venosum: leaf blades entire or with minute teeth and red coloration on leaves closely matching the outline of the veins (vs. H. maculatum, with leaf blades obviously toothed and red coloration on leaves not matching the outline of the veins).