Hieracium lepidulum
NPPA pest plant
Common name
tussock hawkweed
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
HIELEP
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Grassland, roadsides, riverbanks, riverbeds and gold tailings, beech forest, scrub, pine forest.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Features
A perennial herb with erect stems to 15-75 cm tall, having long hairs. Leaves dull green and slightly paler or purplish underneath; 3-15 cm long x 2-7 cm wide; mostly confined to based of stem. Leaves have dense hairs above and often underneath, where long hairs are also present. Flowers occur on straight and erect stems with 2 to 7 bright yellow flower heads per stem. Flowers are never striped, unlike some other hawkweeds. Mainly flowers from Dec-Mar. Fruits are small, dry and black, containing only one seed, the pappus (sheath crowning the seed) is 6-7 mm long and is coloured off-white.
Similar taxa
H. lepidulum is very similar to H. pollichiae, but is easily recognised as its leaves are uniformly green rather than streaked with purple.
Flowering
December, January, February, March
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
(November) - December - March - (May)
Year naturalised
1946
Origin
C. and N. Europe
Reason for introduction
Accidental
Control techniques
Perennial. Seed only, does not have stolons. Seed produced December to March. Seed is spread by wind, clothing and animal pelts.
Tolerances
Tolerates low rainfall and poor soils.
Etymology
hieracium: From the Greek hierax ‘hawk’. Pliny the Elder (AD 23 - AD 79) believed the plant to be eaten by hawks to improve their eyesight.
National Pest Plant Accord species
This plant is listed in the 2020 National Pest Plant Accord. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an agreement to prevent the sale and/or distribution of specified pest plants where either formal or casual horticultural trade is the most significant way of spreading the plant in New Zealand. For up to date information and an electronic copy of the 2020 Pest Plant Accord manual (including plant information and images) visit the MPI website.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.