Crepis capillaris (L.) Wallr.
smooth hawksbeard
Asteraceae (Aster family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #4092)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Crepis capillaris
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Annual or occasionally biennial herb from a relatively short taproot; stems erect, solitary, often much branched, short-hairy near the base or throughout, 20-90 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lanceolate or oblanceolate, 3-30 cm long, 5-45 mm wide, long- to short-stalked, toothed to pinnately cut, the lobes pointing backwards, or evenly bipinnately parted, the blade obtuse or abruptly sharp-pointed, glabrous or short-hairy beneath on the midrib with short yellow hairs, sometimes sparsely short-hairy above and often soon deciduous; lowermost stem leaves similar to the basal; middle and upper stem leaves lanceolate, abruptly sharp-pointed, unstalked, with abruptly sharp-pointed, ear-like flanges at the base.
Flowers:
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, 20-60 in a flat- or round-topped inflorescence; involucres 5-8 mm tall, cylindric to top-shaped; involucral bracts glabrous or woolly, the outer ones about 8, linear, up to 1/2 as long as the 8-16 inner ones, these woolly and often glandular-bristly with black hairs as well, glabrous within, lanceolate, abruptly sharp-pointed, becoming spongy-thickened on the back; receptacle glabrous; ray flowers yellow, 7.5-12 mm long.
Fruits:
Achenes brownish-yellow to dark brown, 1.5-2.5 mm long, spindle-shaped or oblong, abruptly narrowed at both ends, about 10-ribbed; pappus white, of fine, soft, hairlike bristles.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Crepis capillaris

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
285 171 1370
Slope Gradient (%)
10 0 45

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

220 45 337
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 3 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
62
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CWH(61), IDF(1)

Habitat and Range

Mesic roadsides, pastures and disturbed areas in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in SW BC, infrequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands and S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; introduced from Europe.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia