Deadly pollen
by Chris, 5 October, 2020, 6 comments
Hawkweeds are wild flowers of dry, grassy places, but also to be found on walls, rocky places, and pavements. Some are regarded as invasive species in some parts of the world. The botanical genus Hieracium is known by the common name : the hawkweeds. It is thought that the common name derives from the writings of Pliny the elder, who believed that hawks sprinkled sap from the plants into their yellow eyes to dispel dimness.
The genus is a member of the sunflower / daisy family: the Asteraceae. They are closely related to dandelions (Taraxacum) and sow thistles (Sonchus). There are thousands of different Hawkweeds; but botanists classify British hawkweeds into about 340 “species”, many of which are quite rare. Identifying them is difficult and best attempted when there is fresh growth and new leaves. The classification of the hawkweeds is difficult, partly because the plants use apomictic reproduction. This means that seeds that are formed without the usual processes of pollination and fertilisation. Read more...
