Pilosella aurantiaca (Orange Hawkweed) flowers

Pilosella aurantiaca is a flowering plant of the family Asteraceae native to alpine regions of central and southern Europe, where it is protected in several regions. It has a number of common names: Fox-and-cubs, Orange Hawkweed, Tawny Hawkweed, Devil's Paintbrush, and Grim-the-collier.

It was previously known under the Binomial name Hieracium aurantiacum, but was moved to Pilosella when Hieracium was split. Many members of the genus Pilosella reproduce both by stolons (runners like those of strawberries) and by seeds, whereas true Hieracium species reproduce only by seeds.

It is a low-growing plant with shallow fibrous roots and a basal rosette of elliptical to lanceolate leaves. The flowering stem is usually leafless or with just one or two small leaves. The stems may reach a height of 60 cm and have 2–25 capitula (flowerheads), each 1–2½ cm diameter, bundled together at the end of short pedicels.

The plant propagates through its wind-dispersed seeds, and also vegetatively by stolons and shallow rhizomes.

P. aurantiaca is widely grown as an ornamental plant in gardens for its very decorative flowers. It has been introduced into Australasia and North America and escaped from gardens and is considered an invasive species in some areas.

Description adapted from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieracium_aurantiacum and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieracium

• Biota
• Life
• Vitae
• Eukaryota
• Plantae
• Plants
• Magnoliophyta
• Flowering Plants
• Angiosperms
• Magnoliopsida
• Dicotyledons
• Asteraceae
• Asterales
• Asters
• Compositae
• Daisies
• Sunflowers
• Pilosella
• Pilosella aurantiaca
• Orange Hawkweed
• Fox-and-cubs
• Tawny Hawkweed
• Devil's Paintbrush
• Grim-the-collier
• Hieracium aurantiacum

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