Hieracium umbellatum, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 409-410

257. H. umbellatum L. , Sp. Pl. 804 (1753).

Stems 10-100(-150) cm, with few to numerous simple eglandular hairs and few stellate hairs above, without glandular hairs, sometimes glabrescent. Leaves 15-150 x (l-)3-10(-20) mm, crowded, linear, lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, attenuate or cuneate at base, subentire to dentate, the teeth usually remote and sometimes long and cusped, with few to numerous simple eglandular hairs and stellate hairs beneath, often glabrescent above. Peduncles bracteate, with few to numerous stellate hairs and sometimes a few simple eglandular or glandular hairs. Involucre (8—)9—11 (-13) x 9-10 mm; bracts glabrous or rarely with a few small simple eglandular or minute glandular hairs. 2л =18, 27. Most of Europe. Au Be Br Bu Cz Da Fe Ga Ge Hb He Ho Hs Hu It Ju Lu No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W,?K, E) Su Tu. This widespread and very variable taxon contains both sexual and apomictic variants, and cannot be satisfactorily divided into microspecies.

Some variants with broad leaves, particularly in W. Europe, strongly approach members of (xxxv) (e.g. H. laurinum Arvet-Touvet , Addit. Monogr. Hier. 18 (1879) ( H. vasconicutn Jordan ex Zahn ); H. umbellatum subsp. bichlorophyllum (Druce & Zahn) P. D. Sell & C. West , Watsonia 6: 313 (1967), 2« = 18), but they are connected by intermediates, sometimes in the same colony, to narrow-leaved plants.

(xxxvii) Basal leaves usually absent; cauline (4-)8-25(-numerous), not amplexicaul, the lower often petiolate. Capitula (4-)10-50(-numerous), usually in a large panicle. Involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, more or less obtuse, variously hairy. Ligules glabrous. Stigmas yellow or discoloured. Margin of receptacular pits dentate. Achenes dark brown or blackish.