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Hypochaeris radicata

Common cat's-ear

Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Forest & Kim Starr

Short Description

The common cat's-ear can grow up to 70 cm tall.

The leaves near the ground are arranged in a rosette. They are undivided and bluntly coarsely toothed. They have a bristly, hairy surface. The upper leaves are small and scale-like.

The stem is usually not very branched and contains milky sap. It is blue-green and has fine longitudinal grooves.

At first glance, the corolla can be mistaken for the flower. However, it is a false flower. It consists of numerous individual yellow ray florets.

The plant forms small, nut-like fruits with a stalked crown of hairs.

Features

Common cat's-ear

Hypochaeris radicata

  • yellow flowers

  • milky sap

Blütenstand (CC BY-SA 2.0) James Petts

In the city

In the city, the common piglet weed is often found in meadows and along roadsides.

Fun Facts

  • It tolerates mowing very well and sprouts again from the rosettes after a short time.

  • The flowering period is from June to September.

  • A flower head consists of over 100 ray florets.

  • Pollination is carried out by insects.

  • It lives for several years and generally flowers and fruits annually (perennial plant).

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
  • Usage:

    The closed buds can be pickled.

  • The young leaves can be added to salads.

Blätter (CC BY-SA 2.0) Harry Rose

Sources

Habitus, Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_080317-3605_Hypochoeris_radicata.jpg

Blütenstand, James Petts, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypochaeris_radicata_(14375661203).jpg

Blätter, Harry Rose, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypochaeris_radicata_rosette2_(14652520753).jpg

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Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Jäger, E. J. (2011) Rothmaler - Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Gefäßpflanzen: Grundband, Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag.

Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.

Schauer, T., Caspari, C. & Caspari, S. (2015) Der illustrierte BLV-Pflanzenführer für unterwegs. 1150 Blumen, Gräser, Bäume und Sträucher, München: BLV.

Bundesamt für Naturschutz (n.d.) Artensteckbriefe, URL: http://floraweb.de/pflanzenarten/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=3046& (Accessed: 14.06.2017).