Smooth Cat's Ear

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Mycosphaerella hieracii causes spots on live leaf of Hypochaeris glabra

Foodplant / parasite
amphigenous uredium of Puccinia hieracii var. hypochaeridis parasitises live leaf of Hypochaeris glabra
Other: minor host/prey

Smooth cat's ear looks a lot like common cat's ear. However, the flowers are smaller and only open in the morning. It can germinate in the fall as well as in the spring. The leaf rosettes are relatively small when flowering, giving the plant a top-heavy appearance. Pigs and sheep pull the rosettes out of the bottom to eat. Pigs even dig up the roots, which explains the Dutch name 'glad biggenkruid' (smooth pigs herb). Smooth cat's ear grows in reasonably open, sunny places on dry, calcium-poor and nutrient-poor sandy soil. It has become a rare plant in the Netherlands. Smooth cat's ear grows in Central Europe and the Mediterranean Sea region. It has been imported into America.

Hypochaeris glabra is usually distinguishable by its annual habit and relatively small size, slender and shallow roots, fine stems, often glabrous leaves, and beakless, truncate outer cypselae. Occasional specimens are larger and have induments characteristics of H. radicata; they can be distinguished by the dimorphic cypselae.

Annuals, 10–50 cm. taproots slender, vertical; caudices small, ± herbaceous. Stems (1–30), sparingly branched at midstem or distally (lateral branches often short, minutely bracteate or naked), glabrous. Leaves usually all basal; blades oblanceolate to oblong, 20–110 × 5–30 mm, margins nearly entire to dentate or pinnatifid, faces usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes hirsute on veins. Heads borne singly or 2–3 in loose, cymiform arrays (terminating branches, not showy) . Involucres narrowly campanulate, 8–16 × (3–)5–20 mm. Phyllaries 18–20, lanceolate, 3–18 mm, unequal, margins scarious, faces glabrous (apices brownish or reddish, sometimes ciliate). Florets 20–40; corollas white to yellowish, 5–8 mm,. equaling phyllaries at flowering. Cypselae dimorphic, outer cylindric, stout, truncate, inner fusiform, slender, beaked; bodies dark brown, 10-nerved, 8–10 mm, beaks 3–4 mm; pappi of tawny bristles in 2 series, outer barbellate, shorter than plumose inner, longest 9–10 mm. 2n = 8, 10, 12.

Hypochaeris glabra is a flowering plant native to Eurasia and North Africa; however, it is a widespread alien species in North America and other world regions. For example it is broadly distributed in the western part of North America as well as Quebec.

Commonly known as Smooth catsear this annual This is an annual herb has a small taproot, a basal leaf rosette and one or more slender stems 10ten to 45 centimeters high. The leaves may be as long as ten centimeters, with smooth edges or small lobes; the green leaves frequently exhibit a purplish tinge near the veins. The stems are devoid of branching leaves, and topped by flower heads with small overlapping purple-tipped phyllaries and vivid yellow ray florets.

As with all Asteraceae, Cretaceous origin for the Asteridae a Cretaceous origin for their entire order has been suggested in East Gondwanaland (Australasia).

Hypochaeris glabra is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae known by the common name smooth cat's ear. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East but it can be found on other continents where it is an introduced species and a widespread weed. It has become widespread in Africa, southern and southeastern Asia, Australia, and parts of the Americas (especially California).

Hypochaeris glabra is an annual herb growing a small taproot, a basal rosette of leaves, and one or more thin stems 10–40 cm (4–16 in) tall. The leaves are 2–10 cm (3⁄4–4 in) long, smooth along the edges or with small lobes, and green in color, sometimes with a purplish tint near the veins. Atop the thin, naked stems are flower heads with small overlapping purple-tipped phyllaries and bright yellow ray florets. The fruit is a cylindrical achene with a white pappus almost 1 cm (3⁄8 in) long.