Crepis vesicaria Beaked Hawk's-beard DD I
This is a plant which appears in large numbers in mid-summer but it appears to prefer the basic or neutral soil habitats. I see a great deal of it in North Wales along embankments and on verges but there is very little on our acid sandstone in West Cheshire. It can be quite a tall plant up to nearly 1 m but more usually 0.5m tall. The beak refers to the long pointed part of the seed (achene).
It is a European introduction which has spread successfully from South the North. It is very common in England and Wales but records suddenly decrease in the north of England and there is very little in Scotland. In Ireland it is found in the southern and central regions
Great Orme 8th May 2008: Flower: Llandulas 7th May 2007
Added on December 14th 2004, updated 8th December 2008, updated 21st March 2010, updated Se3 4th May 2010, 19th July 2017