Leontodon saxatilis — little hawkbit

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bract cycle number

  • there are three or more cycles of bracts
  • there are two main cycles of bracts

  Bract inner side hairs

  • the bracts are hairy on their inner surfaces
  • the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces

  Bract outer side hair type

  • the bracts are hairy, with simple hairs on their outer surface
  • the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface

  Bract outer side hairs

  • the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
  • the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces

  Bract shape

  the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)

  Bract spines

  the bracts have no spines

  Disk flower color

  NA

  Disk flower lobe number

  NA

  Disk flower number

  NA

  Disk flower proportions

  NA

  Disk flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Disk flower shape

  NA

  Flower head number

  each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it

  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 position

  each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups

  Flower head profile

  the disk is rounded across the top

  Flower head shape

  NA

  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

  Height of flower head base

  6–11 mm

  Inflorescence shape

  NA

  Number of bracts at flower head base

  16–20

  Ovary beak

  there is a 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 ten or more ribs visible on the ovary

  Ovary profile

  in profile, the ovary is another shape

  Ovary surface

  the ovary surface is textured with tiny points, bumps or wrinkles

  Peduncle hair type

  NA

  Peduncle hairs

  the peduncles have no hairs

  Ray flower color

  • other
  • yellow

  Ray flower reproductive parts

  the ray flowers have both carpels and stamens

  Ray flowers

  • 16-25
  • 26-50

  Ray length

  8–15 mm

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens

  Smaller bracts at base of bracts

  there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts

  Swelling at base of flower head

  the peduncles are not swollen, or only slightly

  Width of flower head base

  4–9 mm

• Fruits or seeds

  Ovary beak length

  1 mm

  Ovary length in developed fruit

  4.5–5 mm

  Seed hair tuft color

  • the pappus hairs are another color
  • the pappus hairs are white or off-white

  Seed hair tuft details

  the pappus hairs have smaller hairs along their sides

  Seed hair tuft length

  0.5–6 mm

  Seed hair tuft tips

  the pappus hairs are slender

  Seed hairs uniform

  there are two distinct lengths of pappus hairs

  Seed tuft type

  • the pappus is made of flat scales that are not split or frayed at the tips
  • 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
  • there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim

• Glands or sap

  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

  Plant lifespan

  • the plant is biennial, it appears as either first year (non-reproductive) plants or second year plants with flowers or fruit
  • 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

  • the plant has a caudex (the root mass is firm and hardened at the top)
  • the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
  • there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

  the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Leaf arrangement

  the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct 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 lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
  • the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
  • the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade has branched hairs

  Leaf blade length

  20–150 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
  • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)

  Leaf blade width

  5–25 mm

  Leaf disposition

  the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf type

  leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of an odor

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Leaves on stem

  the flowering stem has no leaves above the base

  Stem internode hair direction

  the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Stem internode hair type

  • at least some of the hairs on the stem are branched
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Stem internode hairs

  • the stem has hairs between the nodes
  • the stem has no hairs between the nodes

Wetland status

Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key