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Smooth cat's-ear

Hypochaeris glabra

Family: Asteraceae Genus: Hypochaeris Species: glabra

Synonyms: Hypochaeris hispida, Scorzonera nova, Hypochaeris heterosperma, Hypochaeris hirsuta, Hypochaeris thracica, Hypochaeris simplex, Hypochaeris glabra var. rostrata, Hypochaeris radicata subsp. glabra, Hypochaeris glabra var. isocarpa, Cycnoseris australis, Achyrophorus minimus, Hyoseris pusilla, Achyrophorus balbisii, Hypochaeris pusilla, Hypochaeris glabra subsp. minima, Hypochaeris pumila, Hypochaeris glabra var. erostris, Scorzonera taraxacifolium, Hypochaeris adscendens, Hypochaeris ascendens, Hypochaeris contexta, Hypochaeris glabra var. loiseleuriana, Hypochaeris arachnoidea, Hypochaeris intertexta, Hypochaeris montana, Hypochaeris intermedia, Hypochaeris arachnites, Hypochaeris capensis, Hypochaeris candollei, Hypochaeris bartholdii, Hypochaeris stellata, Podospermum taraxacifolium, Hypochaeris dimorpha, Hyoseris tenella

Smooth cat's-ear (en)
Hypochaeris glabra — flower
Hypochaeris glabra — flower

Botanical Description

Hypochaeris glabra, the smooth cat's-ear, is a slender annual herb of the Asteraceae family native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and now widely naturalised on disturbed sandy and gravelly ground across temperate regions. The plant forms a low basal rosette of oblanceolate, shallowly toothed, almost hairless leaves four to ten centimetres long, often pressed flat against the soil. From the rosette rise one to several thin, branching, leafless stems ten to forty centimetres tall, each terminated by a small dandelion-like flowerhead of pale yellow ligulate florets that close in the afternoon and in cloudy weather. The fruits are cylindrical, beaked achenes tipped with a single ring of white, plumose pappus hairs that carry the seeds on the wind.

Native Region: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central European Rus, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Ukraine, Yugoslavia

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID
1732

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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