Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Picris angustifolia
Common name
Native Hawkweed, Mountain Picris, Hawkweed Picris
Family
Asteraceae
Where found
Forest, grassy woodland, shrubland, grassland, alpine herbfields, roadsides, and disturbed sites.
subsp. angustifolia: Widespread.
subsp. carolorum-henricorum: Mainly in the ranges north from Nattai National Park west of Bowral. Occasionally elsewhere.
subsp. merxmuelleri: Mainly Kosciuszko National Park, the mountains to the north, and ACT. Occasionally elsewhere.
Notes
Annual to perennial herb to 1.4 m high, with sparse to dense simple hairs and 2-armed hooked hairs (needs a hand lens or a macro app on your phone/tablet to see). Leaves basal and alternating up the stems, 5-40 cm long, 4-35 mm wide, margins entire to toothed, tips blunt to pointed. Flower heads yellow, with many 'petals', 3–10 mm in diameter behind the 'petals'. 'Petals' 7–19 mm long. Flower heads single or in loose clusters. Flowers all year.
subsp. angustifolia: Leaves few. Flower heads behind the 'petals' 3-8 mm in diameter, 10-14 mm long in flower, 12-18 mm long in seed. Outer bracts appressed to the flower heads usually rough, hairs along the midrib, if present, in multiple lines or 1-3 lines. Flower heads mostly in loose clusters, rarely single. Flowers Spring-Autumn. 'Seeds' 5-12.5 mm long overall.
subsp. carolorum-henricorum: Flower heads behind the 'petals' 4-7 mm in diameter, 8-10 mm long in flower, 8-12 mm long in seed. Hairs along the midrib of the bracts surrounding the flower heads, if present, in a single line. Flowers all year. 'Seeds' 2.9-5.2 mm long overall.
subsp. merxmuelleri: Leaves numerous near the base, fewer on the stems. Basal leaves sometimes withered in flower. Flower heads behind the 'petals' 5-10 mm in diameter, 10-14 mm long in flower, 12-18 mm long in seed. 'Petals' 12-19 mm long. Hairs along the midrib of the bracts surrounding the flower heads, if present, in a single or double line. Flower heads in loose clusters of 1-40 heads. Flowers October to April. 'Seeds' 4.2-6.6 mm long overall.
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
PlantNET description with key to subspecies: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Picris~angustifolia (accessed 22 January, 2021)
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a free mobile application:
