Crepis pleurocarpa
Naked stemmed hawksbeard
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Crepis pleurocarpa (Naked stemmed hawksbeard) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by swollen keeled bracts and few flowers per head.
Naked stemmed hawksbeard is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, California Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada Foothills along streams in mixed-conifer forest and steep rocky slopes, often on serpentine at elevations of 400 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces yellow flowers in small clusters with 7 to 10 heads. Growing 1.5 to 6 decimeters tall with stems generally branched near the base and slightly glabrous to woolly, it emerges from a slender woody taproot. Its basal leaves are 7 to 28 millimeters long, elliptic or oblanceolate, with pinnately lobed margins and often recurved remote lobes, while cauline leaves are much reduced and typically not lobed. The fruit is 5 to 8 millimeters long, nearly cylindric, deep red-brown with 10 prominent ribs and a beakless tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; distinguished by swollen keeled bracts and few flowers per head
Habitat and range
Habitat: Along streams in mixed-conifer forest, steep rocky slopes, often on serpentine
Elevation: 400-2200 m
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Crepis pleurocarpa blooms Jun-Aug.
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 pleurocarpa native to California?
Yes. Crepis pleurocarpa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Crepis pleurocarpa bloom?
Crepis pleurocarpa blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Crepis pleurocarpa belong to?
Crepis pleurocarpa is in the Asteraceae family, genus Crepis.
What habitat does Crepis pleurocarpa grow in?
Crepis pleurocarpa grows in Along streams in mixed-conifer forest, steep rocky slopes, often on serpentine.
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.