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- Hieracium lachenalii
Hieracium lachenalii — common hawkweed
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Facts
Common hawkweed is typically found in well-drained, low-nutrient soils. Like other hawkweeds, it can spread aggressively. Its specific epithet (lachenalii) is named for Swiss botanist Prof. Werner de Lachenal (1739-1800) who was stationed at the University of Basel during the late 18th century.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
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.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- 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
- Leaf blade length
- 50–100 mm
- Disk flower number
- 0
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with hairs having glands (a swelling at the tip of the hair)
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- the tips of the bracts are acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- 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 number
-
- each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
- 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
-
- NA
- 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
- Height of flower head base
- 8–10 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- 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
- Peduncle hair type
-
- the hairs on the peduncles are branched
- the hairs on the peduncles have glands at their tips
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles are hairy
- Ray flower color
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have both carpels and stamens
- Ray flowers
-
- 26-50
- more than 50
- Ray length
- 13–18 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- 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
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary beak length
- 0 mm
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2.5–3 mm
- Seed hair tuft color
-
- the pappus hairs are tan to dark brown
- the pappus hairs are white or off-white
- 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
-
- the plant has a caudex (the root mass is firm and hardened at the top)
- 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
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- 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
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade bloom
-
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 50–100 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
-
- there are noticeable spots, patches or stripes on the upper surface of the leaf
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 10–50 mm
- 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
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- 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
- 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 hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair length
- 1–2 mm
- Stem internode hair type
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are branched
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- 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
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
6. Hieracium lachenalii K.C. Gmel. E
common hawkweed. Hieracium vulgatum Fries • CT, MA, ME; also reported from NH by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. Fields, roadsides, trail edges, waste areas. This species has been attributed to NH, in part, on the basis of Hodgdon 7834 ( NHA; image seen!) and Steele 1417 ( NHA; image seen!). The former is Hieracium robinsonii and the latter is H. venosum.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Hieracium maculatum:
- leaf blades with red to red-purple blotches, streaks, and/or spots and involucres with numerous stipitate glands (vs. H. lachenalii, with leaf blades green, without red to red-purple coloration and involucres with few to numerous stipitate glands).
Synonyms
- Hieracium vulgatum Fries