Picris

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 792. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 347. 1754.

Common names: Oxtongue
Etymology: Greek picris, bitter or sharp allusion unclear
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 302. Mentioned on page 219.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA19 P30 Picris hieracioides.jpegPicris hieracioides
Tragopogon mirus
Scorzonera laciniata
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Marjorie C. Leggitt

Annuals, biennials, or perennials, 10–100+ cm; tap or fibrous-rooted, sometimes rhizomatous. Stems usually 1, erect, branched distally, hirsute to hispid or setose (hair tips often 2 [–4] -hooked). Leaves basal and cauline (mostly cauline at flowering); basal ± petiolate, distal sessile; blades oblong, ovate, or lanceolate to oblanceolate or linear, margins entire or sinuate-dentate to pinnately lobed (faces hirsute to hispid or setose, hair tips 2 [–4] -hooked). Heads usually in ± corymbiform arrays. Peduncles not inflated distally, sometimes bracteate. Calyculi of 8–13+, lanceolate to lance-linear bractlets (sometimes ± intergrading with phyllaries). Involucres campanulate to urceolate, 6–12+ mm diam. (sometimes larger in fruit). Phyllaries (8–) 13+ in 1–2 series (reflexed in fruit), lanceolate to lance-linear (± flat or navicular proximally, sometimes each ± enfolding its subtended floret), equal, margins often scarious, apices acute. Receptacles flat to convex, ± pitted, glabrous, epaleate. Florets 30–100+; corollas yellow, often reddish abaxially. Cypselae homomorphic [heteromorphic], reddish-brown [dark-brown], bodies ± fusiform [compressed-ellipsoid], not beaked [beaks ± developed], ribs 5–10, faces transversely rugulose, glabrous; pappi falling, of 30–45+, whitish to stramineous, subequal, barbellulate to plumose bristles [scales] in 2–3+ series (basally connate, falling together). x = 5.

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, Asia, n Africa, also in tropical Africa, Australia

Discussion

Species ca. 40 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Annuals; phyllaries navicular proximally, each enfolding its subtended floret; cypselae 2.5– 3 mm Picris rhagadioloides
1 Biennials or perennials; phyllaries ± flat proximally, not each enfolding its subtended floret; cypselae 3–4(–6) mm Picris hieracioides

"fine" is not a number.

... more about "Picris"
scarious +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
John L. Strother +
Linnaeus +
decurrent +
compound +  and simple +
lanceolate;oblanceolate or linear +
tuberculate +, rugose +, muricate +  and smooth +
fusiform +
lanceolate;lance-linear +
filiform +
whitish +  and stramineous +
subequal +
Oxtongue +
zygomorphic +, actinomorphic +  and (3-)5-merous +
reddish +  and yellow +
reddish-brown +
tapered +, beaked +, flattened +, obcompressed +, compressed +, prismatic +, fusiform +, ellipsoid +, columnar +  and clavate +
Europe +, Asia +, n Africa +, also in tropical Africa +  and Australia +
Greek picris, bitter or sharp +  and allusion unclear +
rugulose +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
indeterminate +
each +  and sessile +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
campanulate;urceolate +
sessile +  and petiolate +
cauline +  and basal +
sinuate-dentate to pinnately lobed +  and entire +
divided +, lobed +  and dentate +
2-carpellate +
connate +  and distinct +
subequal +  and unequal +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
flat;convex +
5 +  and 10 +
exalbuminous +
hirsute +  and hispid or setose +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +
Undefined tribe Lactuceae +
Asteraceae tribe Cichorieae +
rhizomatous +  and fibrous-rooted +
perennial +, biennial +  and annual +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
shrub +  and subshrub +