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Synonyms:
- False dandelion, Common cat's-ear, Frogbit, Gosmore, Hairy cat's ear, Spotted catsear
The Plant:
- A deep taprooted perennial that grows as a rosette of lobed basal leaves. When in flower, it is a slender, erect, plant, 8-16 inches tall.
The Leaves:
- dark green
- basal rosette
- 3 to 5 inches long
- very hairy on lower and upper surfaces
- lobed
- mid-rib prominent
- emit a milky sap when wounded
The Stem:
- slender
- smooth
- sometimes branched
- with scale-like bracts
- mostly free of leaves
- flower stalks: branched, hold a few flowers and also emit a milky sap
The Flowers:
- Yellow dandelion-like flowers with many notched petals. Flowers are 1 inch in diameter, enclosed by .5 inch long scales, and held on branching, leafless stalks. At the base of each flower is a narrow, pointed, scale.
The Fruits:
- similar to a dandelion in aggregate fruit shape
- individual fruits 1/4 inch long, rough
- each seed attached to parachute-like whitish hairs
- slender necked
- fruit-scale is as long as the fruit and its bristles
The Habitat:
- lawns and grassy areas
- fields
- disturbed sites
Dispersal:
Key ID Features:
- basal rosette
- lobed
- very hairy
- dandelion-like yellow flowers
- tips of petals notched
Similar Species:
- Mouse Ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella) resembles Cat's Ear but doesn't have lobed or toothed margins and has stiff dark hairs on its flower stalks.
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is also similar but it is distinguished by much more divided leaves, lack of pubescence and flower stalks that hold only one flower.
Notes:
- Can be highly competitive in poor or disturbed soils and like dandelions can be viewed as a nuisance in lawn and gardens
- On Nantucket, more information is needed about this species. The state of New York lists it an invasive.
Growth Form: Herb
Origin: Mediterranean region
Level of Invasiveness for Nantucket: Do not list at this time
Level of Invasiveness for Massachusetts: Not evaluated
Massachusetts Cultivation Restrictions: no
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