| Crepis pygmaea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Crepis |
| Species: | C. pygmaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Crepis pygmaea | |
Crepis pygmaea (commonly pygmy hawksbeard) [1] is a species of flowering plant in the genus Crepis in the family Asteraceae.
The pygmy hawksbeard grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and reaches a height of 5 to 15 centimetres (2.0 to 5.9 in). The stems are arching and ascending, mostly branched, one or more heads, white tomentose or glabrous, often tinged with purple. [2] The plant has few leaves. The above-ground parts of the plant are hairy. [2]
The lower leaves are heart-shaped and usually long-stemmed. The upper leaves are irregularly pinnate with a very large end section and small side sections. [2] The underside of the leaf is often tinged with purple.
The flowering period extends from July to August. The cup-shaped inflorescence has a diameter of about 2 to 3 centimetres (3⁄4 to 1+1⁄4 in) and contains only ray florets. The bracts are bell-shaped, white, and 10 to 15 millimetres (3⁄8 to 5⁄8 in) long. [2] The fruits are 4 to 6 millimetres (3⁄16 to 1⁄4 in) long. The calyx is 7 to 10 millimetres (1⁄4 to 3⁄8 in) long and white. [2]
The chromosome number is 2n = 8 or 12. [3]
The pygmy hawksbeard occurs in the Pyrenees and the western Alps, in Spain, Andorra, France, Switzerland, and Austria. [4] The plant thrives on moist, coarse scree slopes at elevations of 1,500 to 2,900 metres (4,900 to 9,500 ft).
