Crepis occidentalis
Largeflower hawksbeard
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Crepis occidentalis (Largeflower hawksbeard) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family.
Largeflower hawksbeard is a California native perennial found in open grasslands and rocky areas in montane and foothill regions. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces yellow flowers in loose, flat-topped clusters with heads 11 to 19 millimeters long. Growing with stout, erect stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall that are gray-woolly and branched from the base, it develops from a deep woody taproot. Its basal leaves are pinnately lobed with widely lanceolate recurved lobes, appearing gray-woolly and occasionally glandular. The fruit is 6 to 10 millimeters long with 10 to 18 light to dark brown ribs and a dusky white pappus.
How to tell it apart
vs Hypochaeris: Hypochaeris has mostly leafless stems with tiny bracts; Crepis has well-developed leaves up the stem.; vs Taraxacum: Taraxacum has all leaves basal with leafless stems; Crepis has leaves ascending the branched stem.; vs Agoseris: Agoseris has leafless flower stems from basal rosettes; Crepis has leafy branched stems.; vs Sonchus: Sonchus has clasping stem leaves with spiny margins; Crepis leaves are typically not clasping or spiny.; vs Helminthotheca: Helminthotheca has bristly leaves and bracts; Crepis typically lacks the dense bristly covering.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crepis occidentalis native to California?
Yes. Crepis occidentalis is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Crepis occidentalis belong to?
Crepis occidentalis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Crepis.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.