Friday 7 August 2020

Settle Wildflowers - Day 66 - Yellow 14 - Composites - 5 - Smooth Hawk's-beard


ANOTHER Dandelion-like  yellow composite - 

I have a blog post
There have been three changes at least this year - and to catch up with one, the new Thai Restaurant (above Practically Everything next to the Coop), I went to have a look. On the way found a yellow composite I am not used to seeing round Settle - though it is common nationally. It was growing both below and just above the restaurant. When I have found it in other places (generally in dry, mown road verges) it has been much smaller -

Here is a fine specimen with a fine view of Settle Market Place

Smooth Hawk's-beard - Crepis capillaris
.


And here is a view from the Restaurant/ Take-away itself



When I visited the Take Away on 17 July, it had just opened - as a take away so far - and you had to phone and book for a 15 min slot to come and collect your food - they were fully booked then. 

Back to Crepis.

In the key is says Crepis (Hawk's-beards) have two distinct rows of involucral bracts (the green scales round the flowerhead)

In Smooth Hawksbeard they stay erect, stuck to the flower head, whereas in Rough Hawk's-beard (Crepis biennis) they stick out.






The leaves clasp the stem and are arrow shaped at the base

This is 1mm graph paper.


The pappus hairs come straight off the achene (seed)  there is no beak as in some composites.
The inner face of the involucral bracts are hairless.



Do come and look at it quickly, and the Flower Pot Festival models that  are currently on display in Settle.
When I extolled a plant in the pavement earlier this year I came back and found it herbicided. This one seems to be lasting.




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