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 hawsbeard as seen above 1500' in the Columbia Hills to the north of The Dalles, OR................May 14, 2006.
Characteristics:
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.).
Habitat:
Western hawksbeard is a plant of dry, open places in the foothills and plains.
Range:
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.
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Western hawksbeard in bud atop Hobart Bluff, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument......May 28, 2021.
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.
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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.
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These 2 photos show 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.
Paul Slichter