Leontodon L.

Hawkbit (en), Liondent (fr)

Genus

Angiosperms > Asterales > Asteraceae

Characteristics

Annual or perennial herbs, not branching. Hairs furcate, with prongs straight. Leaves all basal. Inflorescences solitary. Capitula pedunculate; involucral bracts multiseriate; inner bracts ±soft, strongly convex and reflexed at maturity. Florets: ligule yellow. Achenes dimorphic, not compressed, beaked or unbeaked. Pappus of bristles and scales, persistent, dimorphic; bristles plumose or scabridulous, sometimes of 2 types within pappus. [Editorial note, 5 August 2020: this description of Leontodon from the Flora of Australia Volume 37 (Thompson 2015: 140) did not include Hedypnois which was treated as a separate genus. Description of Hedypnois from the Flora of Australia Volume 37 (Thompson 2015: 132): Annual herbs, mostly branching. Hairs furcate or simple. Leaves predominantly basal. Inflorescences solitary or cymose. Capitula pedunculate; involucral bracts biseriate; inner bracts hardened, strongly convex and erect at maturity. Florets: ligule slightly oblanceolate, yellow. Achenes ±homomorphic, not compressed, not beaked. Pappus dimorphic, of scales and bristles, somewhat persistent; bristles and scales scabridulous, sometimes of 2 types within a pappus. A genus of 2 species from the Mediterranean region and southwestern Asia; one species naturalised in Australia.]  
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Annual to perennial taprooted or tuberous rosette herbs. Hairs eglandular, simple, 2-fid or stellate. Stems scapose or branching. Lvs all basal, undivided to pinnatifid; cauline lvs reduced to small stem bracts, or 0. Capitula solitary or several per stem, on long peduncles. Involucral bracts in 2-several ± distinct series, glabrous or hairy. Receptacle pitted; pits with ciliate margins or glabrous; scales 0. Corolla ligulate, usually yellow, rarely orange, often with red or grey on outer face. Style branches filiform, yellow or discoloured. Achenes numerous, brownish, either the inner beaked or all not beaked; pappus bristles in 1-2 rows, white; outer bristles short and scabrid, or 0; inner bristles longer, usually plumose, sometimes reduced to short scales on the outer achenes.
Fls all ligulate and perfect, yellow; invol ovoid or oblong, imbricate or calyculate; receptacle alveolate or fimbriately villous, not chaffy-bracted; achenes narrow, subterete, several-or many-nerved, long-beaked or merely narrowed upwards; pappus of plumose bristles, sometimes with some shorter outer nonplumose bristles or scales, or that of the marginal achenes wholly of the latter type; lactiferous herbs with well developed basal lvs and a naked or merely scaly-bracted scape, monocephalous, or the heads terminating the several branches. 50, temp. Eurasia.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.07 - 0.2
Root system tap-root
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Environment

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Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

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Cultivation

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