Western Hawksbeard, Largeflower Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis (Synonyms: Crepis occidentalis ssp. conjuncta, Crepis occidentalis ssp. costata, Crepis occidentalis ssp. occidentalis, Crepis occidentalis ssp. pumila, Crepis occidentalis var. costata)

Western hawksbeard is a perennial wildflower with 1-3 erect to ascending stems arising 5-40 cm from a taproot. The herbage is densely and closely gray-tomentulose, becoming greener and less hairy with age. The herbage above may also consist of stiff, long glandular hairs. The lower leaves range from 10-35 cm long, often with deeply cleft or pinnatifid segments which may point slightly back towards the base of the leaf (See the photo of the leaf below.).

The 2-25 flower heads are found at the tips fo the stems. Each dandylion-like flower head contains 10-40 yellow flowers. The involucre measures 11-19 mm high with 8-13 inner bracts and outer bracts that are less than half as long as the inner. The bracts often contain some long black bristles which are tipped with small glands (See photo below.).

Western hawksbeard may be found from southern British Columbia south along the east side of the Cascade Mts. to southern California and east to southern Alberta, South Dakota, and northern New Mexico.

The photo above shows a close-up side-view of the flower head of western hawksbeard as seen above 1500' in the Columbia Hills to the north of The Dalles, OR................May 14, 2006.

The photo above shows a close-up of a basal leaf of western hawksbeard as seen along Forest Road 020 at the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla National Forest...........June 25, 2007.

Close-ups of the leaves and involucral bracts of western hawksbeard as seen along the Steens Mountain North Loop Road about one mile below the upper limit of the juniper forest.........June 2, 2012.

The photo above shows a close-up of the involucral bracts of western hawksbeard as seen along Forest Road 020 at the Ray Ridge Viewpoint in the Umatilla National Forest.........June 25, 2007.

Basal leaves of western hawksbeard as seen (left) in scablands near the junction of Forest Roads 42 and 4215 at the southeastern corner of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest..........May 9, 2017. The photo at right shows the basal leaves of western hawksbeard as seen right along the first mile of the Steins Pillar Trail #837, Ochoco National Forest.........May 21, 2017..

These 2 photos show what may be western hawksbeard as seen along forest road #4030 on the eastern slopes of Mt. Misery in the Umatilla N.F. of southeastern Oregon.........July 7, 2008.

Western hawksbeard as seen at left along forest road #2230 between Mount Pisgah and East Point, Ochoco National Forest..........June 13, 2015. The photo at right shows western hawksbeard as seen in scablands along Forest Road 30 at the eastern edge of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest........May 10, 2017.

Western hawksbeard as seen along the Gray Butte Trail #852, Crooked River National Grassland........May 20, 2017.

What may be western hawksbeard as seen at left in bud in scablands along Forest Road 30 adjacent to the old Cold Springs Guard Station at the southeastern corner of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......June 3, 2018. The photo at right appears to show western hawksbeard atop Bald Butte which is about 8-10 miles north of Gearhart Mountain, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 19, 2020.

Western hawksbeard observedat left along the Fremont National Recreation Trail on the northwest side of Hager Mountain, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......June 18, 2020. The photo at right shows western hawksbeard with flower buds forming as seen along a jeep road several miles north of Box Canyon Road, Simcoe Mountain Unit, Klickitat Wildlife Area......May 10, 2021.

Western hawksbeard on scablands atop Bickleton Ridge in the Bickleton Ridge Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area...........June 17, 2017.