VIPER'S-GRASS

Scorzonera humilis

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8yellow
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZMany
stem
stem8round
stem
stem8fluted
stem
stem8milkysap stem8milkylatex
rarity
rarityZrare
sex
sexZbisexual

8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The front flowers (and leaves) on the right are Viper's-grass; the ones scattered about in the distance could also be them, in amongst many other real grasses. This a field of other grasses and reeds.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
A yellow dandelion-type flowerhead which grow erect to 50cm (occasionally up to 1m high) with the brighter green leaves which are fairly short but broad near the middle.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The leaves are without teeth, and shaped from narrow-elliptical to linear-lanceolate.

The flower stems shoot straight up (several on the left) usually unbranched but occasionally branched once or twice, but none in these photos above.



8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Uniformly deep-yellow and composing mostly of ray-florets in various lengths, the flower has anchor-shaped concolorous styles. The outer ligules ('petals') are twice as long as the involucral bracts (aka phyllaries). The flower heads are 2.5 to 3cm across and solitary at the top of the stem(s).


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The phyllaries around the cup are in several rows. They are long and taper only gradually to a shiny round tip. The ray florets are red-flushed on their outside surface. The stems are woolly-hairy when young, as slightly here.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The ray florets have 5 teeth at their tips. The pappus (not shown) has several rows of off-white feathered hairs to transport the seeds on windy days.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Phyllaries with reddish tips. The stems are slightly fluted, and woolly at first becoming hairless.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The leaves and are wider near the centre and have 3 to 5 faint longitudinal ribs. Several leaves come from the same spot.


8th June 2015, VC41, Glamorganshire. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The leaves as well have reddish tips (hydathodes) just like those at the tip of the phyllaries.


Not to be semantically confused with : Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare), Lax Viper's-Bugloss (Echium rosulatum), Purple Viper's-bugloss (Echium plantagineum) and Giant Viper's-bugloss (Echium pininana) [plants with similar names belonging to a different families].

Easily mistaken for : a Dandelion Distinguishing Features : The leaves and See captions.

The stems ooze a milky fluid if damaged. The basal leaves are between 10 and 20cm long and narrowly lanceolate. The stem leaves are smaller. The fruits (an achene, not shown) are ribbed longitudinally and between 7 to 9mm long.

It grows on mildly acidic soils in damp unimproved grasslands and fen meadows. It is native, but very rare, being found in only 3 or 4 locations in Dorset and Glamorgan.


  Scorzonera humilis  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Asteraceae  

Distribution
 family8Daisy & Dandelion family8Asteraceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Scorzonera
Scorzonera
(Viper's-Grass)

VIPER'S-GRASS

Scorzonera humilis

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]