Hieracium crepidispermum facts for kids

Hieracium crepidispermum is a fascinating plant from North America. It belongs to the dandelion tribe, which is part of the larger sunflower family. You can find this plant growing across a large part of Mexico. It also grows in the US states of Arizona and New Mexico.

What Does Hieracium crepidispermum Look Like?

This plant is an herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree. It can grow quite tall, reaching up to about 100 cm (39 in) (around 39 inches). That's almost as tall as some kids!

Its leaves are mostly found in a special arrangement called a rosette. This means the leaves grow in a circle close to the ground, like the petals of a rose. Each leaf can be up to 85 mm (3.3 in) (about 3.3 inches) long. Sometimes, these leaves have small, gentle teeth along their edges.

Flowers and How They Grow

Each Hieracium crepidispermum plant produces a single main stalk. This stalk can hold many flower heads, usually between 8 and 25 of them. These flower heads grow in a flat-topped cluster, making them easy to spot.

Each individual flower head is quite special. It has about 25 to 40 ray flowers. These are the showy, petal-like parts you see. They are usually white or a pale yellow color. Interestingly, these flower heads do not have any disc flowers. Disc flowers are the small, tightly packed flowers often found in the center of a sunflower or daisy.

Where Does Hieracium crepidispermum Live?

This plant is native to North America. It thrives in many different areas across Mexico. Its presence in Arizona and New Mexico shows it can adapt to various environments. Plants often have specific needs for soil, sunlight, and water. The wide range of Hieracium crepidispermum suggests it is quite hardy.