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Hypochaeris radicata L.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
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Aperçu
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Family :

Famille :

Asteraceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Achyrophorus radicatus (L.) Scop. (Turkington and Aarssen 1983; POWO 2023)
Hypochoeris radicata L. (CABI 2023)

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Spotted cat’s ear

(English) (Darbyshire 2003)

Porcelle enracinée (French) (Darbyshire 2003)

False dandelion (English) (Darbyshire 2003; Wiersema & León 2016; USDA-ARS 2023)

jia pu gong ying mao er ju 假蒲公英猫儿菊 (Chinese) (FOC 1994+)

Hierba de halcon (Spanish) (CABI 2023)

Almeirao-do-campo (Portuguese) (CABI 2023)

Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achenes

  • Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achenes

  • Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achenes

  • Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achene

  • Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achene with pappus attached

     

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Hypochaeris radicata is present on almost all continents (Ortiz et al. 2008). It is native to North Africa and the Mediterranean and has spread into Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Australia, North and Central America from a combination of natural and human-mediated dispersal (Aarssen 1981; Ortiz et al. 2008).

    This species is found in most of the United States, except for the central and southwestern states (Aarssen 1981; FNA 1993+). In Canada, this species occurs in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland (Darbyshire 2003; Brouillet et al. 2010+).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    H. radicata is commonly found in grass-dominated disturbed sites such as lawns, golf courses, pastures and roadsides, and is adapted to a wide range of soil types (Aarssen 1981; Darbyshire 2003; Ortiz et al. 2008). The species can also invade cultivated fields, and is an issue in Trifolium repens (white clover) pastures, Rubus idaeus (raspberry), and Vaccinium angustifolium (blueberry) fields (Aarssen 1981; Turkington and Aarssen 1983; Darbyshire 2003).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Perennial

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Achene

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    The genera name of Hypochaeris has historically been spelled two ways; Linneaus used both Hypochaeris and Hypochoeris (Aarssen 1981). Authors in the United Kingdom and Europe generally adopted Hypochoeris and authors in North America tend to use Hypochaeris (Aarssen 1981).

    The historical range of H. radicata was in humid Quercus (oak) woodlands of Morocco and into the Mediterranean region (Ortiz et al. 2008). The species adapted to dry, disturbed, grasslands; seeds were transported to Europe, Asia, North and South America with human activity (Ortiz et al. 2008).

    The species grows well in pastures and lawns along with cultivated soils, producing buds at soil level for protection from grazing and mowing (Turkington and Aarssen 1983). It has been described as nutritious and palatable to livestock but can degrade pastures by displacing desired species (Aarssen 1981; Turkington and Aarssen 1983).

    H. radicata reproduces by seed only; the perennial taproot is generally destroyed by cultivation (Aarssen 1981). Each plant was estimated to produce 2329 achenes in a year, with up to 60 flower heads generally containing 40 achenes (Aarssen 1981). Achenes are naturally dispersed by wind, but have also been found tangled in bird plumage, carried by ants and transported in commercial grass seed (Aarssen 1981). Hybrids between H. radicata and the similar H. glabra, named H. balbisii Loisel., have been observed where their ranges overlap (Aarssen 1981; Turkington and Aarssen 1983).

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Achene

      Size

      • Achene length* (not including style remnant): 3.0 – 5.1 mm; width: 0.4 – 0.7 mm
      • Style remnant length**: 1.1 – 6.4 mm
      *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 achenes in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)
      **Note: minimum and maximum of 10 style remnants in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

      Achene sizes from literature:
      • Achene length: 6-10 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Achene length: 4-7 mm (Aarssen 1981)
      • Style remnant length: 3 – 5 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Pappus length: up to 10–12 mm (FNA 1993+)

      Shape

      • Achene is cylindrical shaped, with one end tapered into a narrow style remnant
      • Achene may be slightly longitudinally curved
      • Style remnant cylindrical, more narrow than achene
      • Pappus in 2 rings, white or light yellow, outer ring is made of bristles and the inner is plumose hairs

      Surface Texture

      • Achene surface with both transverse and longitudinal ridges, transverse ridges appear like scales
      • Style remnant with rows of scales that appear like bristles

      Colour

      • Achene is reddish brown, can be grey coloured in between the longitudinal ridges
      • Style remnant is brown, yellowish near the pappus

      Other Features

      • Style remnant and pappus generally broken during seed processing

      Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achenes

    <
    >

    • Seed

      Size

      • Seed size similar to achene size

      Shape

      • Seed is cylindrical

      Surface Texture

      • Seed surface is smooth

      Colour

      • Seed is greenish-yellow coloured

      Other Features

      • Hilum not visible
      • Seed is soft and oily
    <
    >

    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo fills the seed

      Shape

      • Embryo spatulate shaped

      Endosperm

      • Nutritive tissue is contained in the cotyledons (Martin 1946)

      Other Features

      • Embryo in axial position

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    H. radicata achenes can be distinguished from other species by the combination of mixed feathery and hair-like pappus strands, a narrow achene with a long style remnant and the surface texture of transverse scales. The achenes of the similar species, Hypochaeris glabra are of two types (dimorphic), with a long style and hair-like pappus and/or without a style remnant and a mixed feather- and hair-like pappus.

    Hypochaeris radicata (spotted cat’s ear) achene with pappus attached

     

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Flower heads are composed entirely of yellow ray florets (the petals are fused into one long, strap-shaped petal)
    • Flower heads are 20-30 (-40) mm wide (Aarssen 1981)
    • Estimated 20-60 flower heads per plant, each producing 44 fruits (Aarssen 1981)

    Vegetative Features

    • Plant stems 5-6 dm tall, arising from a basal rosette of leaves covered in dense, stiff hairs (Aarssen 1981)
    • Plant stems do not have leaves in this species (FNA 1993+)
    • Leaf length: 3-25 cm; width: 0.5-7 cm (Aarssen 1981)

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Hypochaeris glabra L.

    Hypochaeris glabra achenes are dimorphic, one type has a long style remnant with a hair-like pappus (length* without style remnant: 3.1 – 5.0 mm; width: 0.4 – 0.7 mm), the other has no style remnant and a mixed pappus of feathery and hair-like filaments (length*: 3.0 – 4.2 mm; width: 0.5 – 0.6 mm) (Baker and O’Dowd 1982). Both types of achenes are a similar size as H. radicata achenes.

    The achenes of H. radicata all have long style remnants with a mixed plumose and bristle pappus. It would be difficult to distinguish the two species if achenes with a style remnant were found without a pappus. This species hybridizes readily with H. radicata if their ranges overlap (Aarssen 1981; Turkington and Aarssen 1983), and hybrid achenes may be difficult to identify to species.

    *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 achenes in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

     

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Aarssen, L.W. 1981. The biology of Canadian weeds. 50. Hypochoeris radicata L. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 61: 365-381.

    Baker, G,A and O’Dowd, D.J. 1982. Effects of parent plant density on the production of achene types in the annual Hypochoeris glabra. Journal of Ecology 70: 201-215.

    Brouillet, L., Coursol, F., Meades, S. J., Favreau, M., Anions, M., Bélisle, P. and Desmet, P. 2010+. VASCAN, the database of vascular plants of Canada. http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/ Accessed October 17, 2022.

    Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI). 2023. Invasive Species Compendium, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/journal/cabicompendium Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch. Ottawa, ON.

    Flora of China (FOC) 1994+. Hypochaeris radicata Vol. 20-21 Page 347 (English edition). http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=220006707 Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Flora of North America (FNA) Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org. Accessed October 17, 2022.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for Seed Size Measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide.

    Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36: 513-660.

    Ortiz, M.Á., Tremetsberger, K., Terrab, A., Stuessy, T.F., García-Castaño, J. L., Urtubey, E., Baeza, C.M., Ruas, C.F., Gibbs, P.E. and Talavera, S. 2008. Phylogeography of the invasive weed Hypochaeris radicata (Asteraceae): from Moroccan origin to worldwide introduced populations. Molecular Ecology 17, 3654–3667.

    Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2023. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Turkington, R. and Aarssen, L.W. 1983. Biological flora of the British Isles. No. 156. Hypochoeris radicata L. (Achyrophorus radicatus (L.) Scop.). Journal of Ecology, 71: 999-1022.

    U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2022. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch Accessed October 04, 2022.

    U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2023. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch Accessed October 31, 2023.

    Wiersema, John, H. and Blanca León. 2016. World Economic Plants. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, (2nd Edition). Taylor & Francis.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Jennifer Neudorf, Angela Salzl, Ruojing Wang

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency

     

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

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