Autumn Hawkbit

Autumn Hawkbit - Scorzoneroides autumnalis

Alternative names
Leontodon autumnalis
Description

Low to medium plant usually with branched stems. Leaves narrow oblong deeply toothed to pinnately lobed. Flowerheads 20 to 35 mm yellow, the outer rays striped with red outside.

Similar Species

Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris), other Hawkbits (Leontodon), Hawkweeds (Hieracium and Pilosella)

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

Leaves can be deeply lobed almost to midrib, or less lobed; glabrous or with a few simple (not forked) hairs. Stems usually branched.  No receptacular scales among the yellow florets.  Stem is swollen just below bracts so it merges into the flowerhead, and bracts usually hairy.

Recording advice

A side-on picture of the flowerhead and stem. This cannot be verified form a 'full-face' picture looking down onto the flowerhead; there are very many similar flowers.

Habitat

Rocky or grassy places, pathways, waysides.

When to see it

June to October.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 526 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records

Photo of the association

Uroleucon hypochoeridis

The aphid Uroleucon hypochoeridis lives on the stems of Cat's ear, Autumn Hawkbit and related species. It is a large pinkish-grey aphid with pale legs that are darkened towards the apices of the segments. Immatures are grey with a reddish-pink suffusion around the bases of the siphunculi. 

Photo of the association

Liriomyza taraxaci

The larva of the Agromyzid fly Liriomyza taraxaci mines the leaves of Dandelion, Sow-thistle species and Autumn Hawkbit. They form small, irregular, elongated blotch mines with little frass  inside.