Crepis capillaris (L.) Wallr., Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Other Latin names:  Crepis virens L.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: green crepis, smooth hawk's-beard

French: crépis capillaire

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annuals or biennials, 10-90 cm (taproots shallow). Stems 1(-6+), erect to ± procumbent, usually simple (usually with single stout leader, sometimes multiple with slender laterals), hispid proxi-mally or throughout. Leaves: basal and cauline; petiolate (petiole bases clasping); blades lanceolate or ob-lanceolate, runcinate or lyrate, 5-30 x 1-4.5 cm, margins pinnately divided to sharply dentate (lobes remote, unequal), apices obtuse or acute, mucronate, faces glabrous or sparsely hispid (hairs yellow; proximal cauline auriculate and clasping). Heads 10-15(-30+), in corymbiform arrays. Calyculi of 8, linear, tomentulose or stipitate-glandular bractlets 2-4 mm. Involucres cylindric to turbinate, 5-8 x 3-6 mm. Phyllaries 8-16, lanceolate, 6-7 mm (margins scarious), apices acute, abaxial faces stipitate-glandular and glandular setose (setae black, usually in 2 rows), adaxial glabrous. Florets 20-60. corollas deep yellow (reddish abaxially), 8-12 mm (hairy). Cypselae brownish yellow, fusiform, 1.5-2.5 mm, apices narrowed (not beaked), ribs 10 (glabrous or scabrous); pappi white (fluffy), 3-4 mm (scarcely surpassing phyllaries)"  (Flora of North America online).

Description from Flora of New Zealand.  "Large forms of C. capillaris may resemble C. vesicaria, but can be distinguished by their thin leaves with usually at least the margins glabrous, bracts glabrous on the inner surface, glabrous receptacle and smaller achenes without beaks. In C. capillaris the pappus does not overtop the involucral bracts in the fruiting capitulum, and capitula are generally smaller than those of C. vesicaria"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 322).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in open, disturbed areas, including pastures to open subalpine forest, 1,140-2,260 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 291).  In North America, "meadows, pastures, lawns, roadsides, fields, waste places; 0-1300 m"  (Flora of North America online).  In New Zealand, "gardens, roadsides, waste land, lakeshores, pasture, lawns, swamps, coastal sand and cliffs, stream beds, river flats, tussock grassland, scrub"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 322).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, Asia (Georgia); widely naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 552)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 291) Voucher cited: Ewart III 342 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) "Weed of roadsides and disturbed areas".
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 190)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 322)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Crepis capillaris, please let us know.