Hypochaeris radicata L.

Perennial. Stems ascending to erect, usually branched, glabrous or with a few sparse hairs below, 4–60–(150) cm tall. Lvs all basal, oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, usually shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, rarely simple and toothed, (2)–4–20–(40) × (0.5)–0.8–4–(9) cm, with moderately dense pale strigose hairs. Stem bracts few, minute. Capitula turbinate to campanulate. Involucral bracts linear-lanceolate with narrowly acute apex, 6–15 mm long at flowering, up to 20 mm long at fruiting, glabrous except for a row of strigose hairs on midrib (the distal hairs dark), herbaceous or with narrow scarious border. Florets yellow, c. 11/2× length of involucre. Achenes dark brown, scabrid, fusiform, beaked, 8–16 mm long, sometimes the outer achenes not or shortly beaked and then shorter. Pappus in 2 rows, the outer hairs short, slender, scabrid to plumose, the inner up to 12 mm long, plumose.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Nov.–Mar.–(Oct.); Fruiting: Nov.–Mar.–(Oct.)