Yellow Composites in Haymeadows -
Dandelion-like flowers appear in the hayfields in late June, July and August.
What are they?
Dandelions flower at the end of April / beginning of May. By late May and by June the verges are full of white dandelion clocks. So what are the golden coloured “false dandelions” that grow in the fields after this, in high summer? 
( I'm not talking about the Mouse-Ear Hawkweed (right) which has lemon yellow flowers and stolons, and which can also grow in Hay Meadows: Its undersurface of the leaf is white with hairs arguably like the top of a mouse's ear, I featured this yesterday)
Three species grow in the haymeadow plots at Colt Park near Ingleborough that I make me concentrate, and they grow in the fields around Settle:
Rough Hawkbit - Leontodon hispidus -
Cat’s Ear -
Autumn Hawkbit - Scorzoneroides autumnalis - formerly
Leontodon mean's "Lion's tooth"
From above the flower heads look almost identical. Like golden dandelions. They all have ligulate (straplike) florets made of 5 petals fused together.
From below there are subtle differences which I will highlight lower in this post in a few days time when I get time
|
| Left to right: Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Leontodon hispidus, Hypochoeris radicata |
They all have a rosette of leaves at the base and on the stem there are no leaves or just leaf scales on the stem. They all (with a lot of imagination) have some latex when you cut the stem - but not the thick white latex produced by dandelions. The leaf stems are not hollow as in dandelions.
What makes them different to dandelions is that they have more hairs on the leaves than dandelions. They do not have the thick white latex of dandelions
How to separate them using leaves (I'll cover the flower heads later)
Leaves:
1a. Forked Hairs - Leontodon hispidus
1b. Simple Hairs - Goto 2
2a. Thicker slightly more succulent leaves. it looks like goose-pimples where the hairs stick out - Hypochoeris radicata
2b. Relatively thin leaves; the end lobe of the leaf is very long and narrow, sometimes about the same in width as the side lobes - Scorzoneroides autumnalis
1. Leontodon hispidus:
 |
| Leontodon hispidus |
 |
| Leontodon hispidus |
------------------------------------------
2. Hypochoeris radicata - Still need a photo for the leaf of this
3. Scorzoneroides autumnalis
The pictures of Scorzoneroides autumnalis below are from beside the Ribble at Settle, not the hay meadow, where the leaves were a lot smaller, shaded out by the tall grasses, but they are good for
a. showing the shape of the leaves
b. showing that there can be several flower heads on one stem.
 |
| Scorzoneroides autumnalis |
Scorzoneroides autumnalis |
 |
| Scorzoneroides autumnalis - with scales on the flower stem. |
FLOWERS
1. Leontondon hispidus
at Lower Winskill Farm with Smearset Scar in the distance.
This species only has one flowerhead per stem, and no leaf scales on the stem.
 |
This species only has one flowerhead per stem and no scales on the stem |
2. Hypocheris radicata
I like this photo
If you look carefully you can see the latex oozing out or the cut flower head. initially it was white but within 30 seconds it went this brown colour and eventually it went black.
You can see that the stalk is hollow just below the flower head.
----
-------
|
| Left to right: Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Leontodon hispidus, Hypochoeris radicata |
Centre: Leontodon hispidus: Rough Hawkbit: No scales on stem, stem. Only one flower head per shoot. Hairs have forked ends when viewed under lens.
Right: Hypocheoris radicata - Cat's-ear Hairless stem and Involucre (green bit surrounding yellow florets) - or if there are hairs they are green or black and very thick and stick out.
The involucre narrows abruptly onto the stem - whereas in Autumn Hawkbit is tapers
Left: Scorzoneroides autumnalis - Autumn Hawkbit this can have several flower heads on a shoot; The hairs are simple; The head tapers onto the stem and feels very hollow if you squeeze it.
|
Left to right: Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Leontodon hispidus, Hypochoeris radicata and below in reverse order  |
Click here for more flowers coming out around Settle ---
No comments:
Post a Comment