Description
There are 70 species of Crepis in Europe alone. Crepis leaves sit in spirals along the stems, often lobed, with lobes pointed downwards. The stems are normally branched. The bracts beneath the flower are in 2 rows covered in black hairs, the outer row being the smaller, the inner row, long and pointed.
The Greek word ‘crepis’ means sole of a shoe, referring to the way the leaves lie flat on the ground, the word ‘paludosa’ means living in a swamp. Just one stem, branched towards the top, hairy. Grows on acidic soil, in damp, shady places.
Flowers
The flowers have ray florets only, golden yellow; the buds are covered in black gland-hairs.
Leaves
Elliptic oval leaf Lanceolate leaf is lance-shaped: long and widest in the middle, Sagittate arrow-head shaped leaf with downward lobes. Basal leaves: oval to oblong, wider in the middle, pointed, wavy and serrated.
Stem leaves: elongated, sharply serrated, clasping the stem with downward pointing bases.
Fruits Seeds
Achene: a cluster of light-brown, small 1-seeded fruit with 10 ribs, 5 mm long. Pappus (tuftlike hairs) yellowish-brownish white.