Crepis runcinata
Fiddleleaf hawksbeard
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Crepis runcinata (Fiddleleaf hawksbeard) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by Nearly glabrous, tall (2.5--8 dm); leaves mostly basal, merely dentate; moist NE meadows.
Fiddleleaf hawksbeard is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial herb found in rocky, open habitats across various bioregions at elevations adaptable to different montane and subalpine environments. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces pale yellow flowers in small clusters with 20 to 50 individual blooms forming compact, flat-topped heads. Growing with branched stems 25 to 80 centimeters tall, it emerges from a long woody taproot with a distinctive swollen caudex. Its leaves are primarily basal, oblanceolate to elliptic, measuring 7 to 27 centimeters long with deeply toothed or occasionally pinnately lobed edges, appearing glabrous or lightly hairy. The fruit develops as a pale yellow to brown fusiform structure 3.5 to 7.5 millimeters long, crowned with a white pappus and featuring 10 to 13 prominent ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Nearly glabrous, tall (2.5--8 dm); leaves mostly basal, merely dentate; moist NE meadows
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
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 runcinata native to California?
Yes. Crepis runcinata is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Crepis runcinata belong to?
Crepis runcinata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Crepis.
Is Crepis runcinata rare or endangered?
Crepis runcinata carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.