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Practical ecological knowledge for the temperate reader. |
Family: Aster [E-flora]
"Annual to perennial herb from taproot, woody caudex, or creeping rhizome; sap milky. Stem: 1–20+, erect, <= 12 dm, simple or branched, glabrous to densely hairy, sometimes stalked-glandular. Leaf: basal or cauline, alternate, base narrowed, often winged, blade entire or toothed to pinnately lobed or divided. Inflorescence: heads liguliflorous, generally in cyme-like, flat-topped, or panicle-like clusters; phyllaries in 2 series, outer reduced, inner ± equal, abaxially glabrous or hairy, adaxially generally glabrous; receptacle flat to convex, epaleate, shallowly pitted. Flower: 5–100+; corolla generally yellow [orange, white, pink], generally glabrous; ligule readily withering. Fruit: ± cylindric or fusiform, distally ± tapered or beaked with ± distinct constriction, 10–20-ribbed, glabrous or minutely short-rough hairy; pappus of 80–150 soft, hair-like bristles.
± 200 species: especially northern hemisphere. (Greek: slipper or sandal, perhaps for fruit)." [Jepson]
"Unabridged note: Sexual forms of native species are distinct but (except Crepis nana, Crepis runcinata) connected by many apomictic, asexually reproducing forms of hybrid origin that obscure boundaries. Many of these asexual forms were grouped into subspecies by Babcock and Stebbins (1947); however, it is doubtful that these will hold up under close taxonomic scrutiny." [Jepson]
"General: Annual or occasionally biennial herb from a relatively short taproot; stems erect, solitary, often much branched, short-hairy near the base or throughout, 20-90 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic roadsides, pastures and disturbed areas in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in SW BC, infrequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands and S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
References
"General: Perennial herb from a taproot and a simple or slightly branched woody base; stems several to many, freely branched, glabrous, 8-30 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Moist to mesic gravelly or sandy river bars, terraces and open slopes in the lowland and montane zones; frequent throughout BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to AB and SK, S to MT and WY." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Native [E-flora]
Synonyms: Crepis elegans Hook. [E-flora]
References
"General: Annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems erect, usually solitary, short-hairy below, branched, 30-110 cm tall. " [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Mesic to dry roadsides and disturbed areas in the lowland and montane zones; infrequent in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island and adjacent Gulf Islands, also a collection from EC BC (W of Jasper, AB); introduced from Europe. " [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
References
"The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Annual herb from a short taproot; stems erect, solitary, branched, glabrous or hairy, 0.3-1.0 m tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Roadsides and disturbed areas in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent throughout BC, except NW BC and the Queen Charlotte Islands; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
"Crepis vesicaria is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]
"General: Annual or biennial or rarely perennial herb from a woody, sometimes thickened taproot and a simple or divided stem-base; stems erect, solitary to several, often branched near the base as well as above, more or less purplish, grooved, more or less woolly-hairy, 30-80 cm tall." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Habitat / Range Roadsides and disturbed areas in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island; introduced from W Europe and NW Africa." [IFBC-E-flora]
Status: Exotic [E-flora]
Food Use
"See the plants native habitat for ideas on its needs[K]. C. vesicaria is a large aggregate species that it sometimes divided into various sub-species[17]. Plants are usually biennial, but they can be perennial or even annual[17]." [PFAF]
References
Leaves
False Hawksbeard - Crepis Japonica
Crepis Japonica: Seasonal Potherb
"Crepis japonica gets no respect. You won’t find it in field guides on edible plants. And there is very little of substance about it on the Internet other than its name. The same can also be said for its edible cousins, Crepis setosa, Crepis runcinata, Crepis glauca, Crepis capilaris, Crepis bursifolia, Crepis vesicaria and Crepis tectorum. My point, there’s an edible Crepis near you." [EattheWeeds]
"All these Crepis have little variations, and some are more or less bitter than the others, but they are found across North America, Europe and Asia. For such an edible group they are barely known. While I will be writing about the Crepis japonica there is the: Crepis capilaris, the Smooth Hawksbeard which is found in most northern states; the Crepis glauca or Crepis runcinata, the Fiddle Leaf Hawksbeard which is found along the Rocky Mountains through the United States into Canada; the Crepis tectorum, the Narrow Leaf Hawksbeard which is found in the upper half of the United States and Canada; Crepis setosa, the Bristly Hawksbeard, found in a smattering of states of no particular pattern; Crepis vesicaria, the Beaked Hawksbeard, which is found along both coasts of the United States, Crepis bursifolia, the Italian Hawksbeard, which is found in California, and Europe. Crepis japonica is found from about Pennsylvania south in to the South and west to Texas, also in Asia. What can be said of one, applies to the others and they are used in similar ways." [EattheWeeds]
"Crepis japonica: Young leaves can be eaten raw, better cooked as a potherb, very mild when young, boil for 10 minutes or longer." [EattheWeeds]