Daisy: Hawksbeards Family:-

Daisy: Hawksbeards Family are "yellow dandelion-like Composites, differing from other similar flowers in having leafy branched stems: one conspicuous row of erect sepal-like bracts, with another much smaller, often half-spreading, ruff-like row at the base of the flower-head; and a white pappus with unbranched hairs. Leaves, except in Northern Hawksbeard, are irregularly lobed or toothed like a Dandelion, with a large terminal lobe; mostly basal, but the stem ones half-clasping it. Flower-heads in loose branched terminal sprays.

Hawksbeards differ from Catsears (Common Catsear, Smooth Catsear and Spotted Catsear) and Hawkbits (Autumn Hawbit, Greater Hawkbit and Lesser Hawkbit) in their leafy stems and non-feathery pappus; from Catsears also in having no scales between the florets; from Ox-tongues ((Bristly Ox-Tongue and Hawkweed Ox-Tongue) in their unbranched pappus and no coarse brstles on the leaves; from the Hawkweeds (see daisy hawkweeds family page) in their white pappus ( except Marsh Hawksbeard), and fruits beaked or narrowed above; and from Dandelions in their solid leafy stems with no milky juice. " from Collins Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers by David McClintock and R.S.R. Fitter assisted by Francis Rose - ISBN 0 00 219363 9 - Eleventh Impression 1978

Daisy: Hawksbeards Family plant table with its Common Name - Botanical Name. Flowering Months Range. Habitat with link to that Wild Flower Habitat Gallery:-

Common Name

Botanical Name

Flowering Months

Habitat

Beaked Hawksbeard

Crepis vesicaria

May-June

A usually biennial herb, sometimes annual or perennial, of lightly mown or grazed grassland on roadsides, lawns, railway banks and in waste places. Lowland.

Flower from Stratford in London. Photo from BritishFlora

Flowers from Stratford in London. Photo from BritishFlora

Foliage

Form

Dandelion

Crepis Taraxacum officinale

(Taraxacum officinale)

Throughout the year, but in greatest profusion in April-May

These tap-rooted perennial herbs occur in a very wide range of habitats, but prefer disturbed sites. Some microspecies are associated with natural or semi-natural habitats, including sand dunes, chalk grassland, fens, flushes and cliffs, but most occur in disturbed habitats such as pastures, roadside verges, lawns, tracks, paths and waste ground.

Flower

Flowers

Foliage at Borough Green on 28 April

Form at Borough Green on 28 April

Seedhead

Seedhead in Kent in May

Dandelion field in Tunstead of Derbyshire on 26 May

Form

Lesser Dandelion

Taraxacum Erythrospermum

Throughout the year.

Lawns, gardens, fields, meadows, pastures, roadsides and railroads. Paperback on Taraxacum Erythrospermum.

Flower from Borough Green on 19 May

Flower

Foliage

Form from Strood in Kent in March

Marsh Hawk's-beard

Crepis paludosa

July-September

In the uplands, this perennial herb is found on rocky, wooded streamsides, where it often grows on water-splashed rocks, and also in sheltered gullies and flushed banks. At lower altitudes it occurs in fens, damp hay meadows, ditches and on roadside verges. Lowland to 915 m (Easterness).

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Form

Northern Hawk's-beard

(Soft Hawk's-beard)

Crepis mollis

July-August

A winter-green perennial of herb-rich grassland and wood-pasture on shallow base-rich soils. From 90 m beside the Swarland Burn (Cheviot) to 670 m in Caenlochan (Angus).

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Form

Rough Hawk's-beard

Crepis biennis

June-July

A stout, biennial herb of rough grassland and woodland margins on chalk soils in S.E. England, but elsewhere introduced, often with grass seed, and persisting locally in pastures, in arable fields and on field margins, roadsides, dry banks and waste ground. Lowland.

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Form

Smooth Hawk's-beard

Crepis capillaris

June onwards

This morphologically variable winter-green annual is an early colonist of open ground, found in thin grassland, on road verges, lawns, spoil heaps, rocky banks and other open habitats. It is a poor competitor in closed vegetation. 0-445 m (Clun Forest, Salop).

Flower from Rochester in Kent

Flowers from Rochester

Foliage from Rochester

Form from Rochester

Southern Hawksbeard

Crepis foetida

June-August

An annual or biennial herb now found only on disturbed coastal shingle, but formerly also in open sandy or chalky habitats inland. Lowland.

Flower

Flowers

Foliage

Form

Shaggy dog story

My neighbour found out that her dog ( a Schnauzer) could hardly hear, so she took it to the veterinarian. The vet found that the problem was hair in the dog's ears. He cleaned both ears, and the dog could then hear fine. The vet then proceeded to tell the lady that, if she wanted to keep this  from recurring, she should go to the chemist and get some "Nair" hair remover and rub it in the dog's ears once a month. 

The lady went to the chemist and bought some "Nair" hair remover.  At the register, the pharmacist told her, "If you're going to use this under your arms, don't use deodorant for a few days."

The lady said, "I'm not using it under my arms."

The pharmacist said, "If you're using it on your legs, don't shave for a couple of days."

The lady replied, "I'm not using it on my legs either.  If you must know, I'm using it on my Schnauzer."

The pharmacist says, "Well stay off your bicycle for about a week."