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Hairy Cat's Ear, False Dandelion - Hypochaeris radicata


Family: Asteraceae – Aster family Genus Common Name: Cat's Ear Native Status: Introduced
Hypochaeris radicata - Hairy Cat's Ear, False Dandelion. Yellow aster with blooms at the end of smooth stem, rising from a floret of hairy dandelion-like basal leaves. Other common names are common cat's-ear, false dandelion, frogbit, gosmore, and spotted catsear.
Distribution of Hypochaeris radicata in the United States and Canada:
USDA Plants Distribution Map
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 08 Sep 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-July-13Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Cat's Ear blossoms are similar to those in the genus Krigia and to the Hawkweeds (Hieracium.) All of these are similar to the dandelion, and False Dandelion is another of its common names.
Hypochaeris radicata
Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-July-12Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
The floret of hairy dandelion-like basal leaves is a key identifier for Hypochaeris radicata.
Hypochaeris radicata
Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-July-12Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
The photo shows the scale-like bracts on the blossom at the end of the smooth stem, but I like the little grasshopper even better.
Hypochaeris radicata

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2010
Photographs Copyrighted by the named photographer


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