Description: Annual to perennial taprooted rosette herbs; hairs non-glandular or absent.
Leaves usually basal, spreading flat, toothed to pinnatifid, cauline leaves few or absent.
Heads terminal on simple or sparsely branched stems, cylindrical to cone-shaped, spreading in flower and fruit; involucral bracts 2–5-seriate; receptacle flat, scales present. Florets all ligulate. Anthers sagittate at base, apical appendage minute. Style branches linear, papillose.
Achenes cylindrical, ribbed, scabrid, at least inner beaked; pappus in 1 or 2 rows of plumose bristles, sometimes also with an outer row of simple bristles.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 60 species mostly from temperate South America and the Mediterranean region, also other parts of Europe and Asia: 3 species naturalised in Australia.
Text by L. Murray
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Hairs of pappus in 2 rows; inner long and plumose; outer short and simple; florets yellow | 2 |
| Hairs of pappus in 1 row; all plumose; florets white | Hypochaeris albiflora |
| 2 | Inner achenes beaked, outer achenes with no beak; leaves usually glabrous; if hairy, only slightly so, especially on margins | Hypochaeris glabra |
| All achenes beaked; leaves usually hispid, rarely glabrous
Back to 1 | Hypochaeris radicata |
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