Scorzoneroides autumnalis

Scorzoneroides autumnalis, commonly called autumn hawkbit,^[2] is a perennial plant species, widespread in its native range in Eurasia (from Europe east to western Siberia),^[3] and introduced in North America.^[4]

Scorzoneroides autumnalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Scorzoneroides
Species:	S. autumnalis
Binomial name
Scorzoneroides autumnalis (L.) Moench
Synonyms[1]
Leontodon autumnalis L.

The plant is sometimes called fall dandelion, because it is very similar to the common dandelion (one of the main differences being a branched stem with several capitula^[5]), but "yellow fields", covered by this plant appear much later than dandelions, towards the autumn in the Eastern Europe. In the Latin synonym of the plant name, Leontodon autumnalis,^[6]"leontodon" means "lion's tooth", the same as "dandelion".

Description

Scorzoneroides autumnalis is a perennial herb growing to 35 cm high usually with branched stems and several flower-heads each about 30 mm across. The florets are all ligulate and bright yellow. The leaves are all basal and linear-oblong.^[6]

Reproduction

Flowers in June to October producing achenes.^[6]

Habitat

Frequent in damp grassland^[6] and meadows.^[7]

Ecology

The fly Tephritis leontodontis is known to attack the capitula of this plant.^[8]

Distribution

Abundant in Ireland and Great Britain.^[7]