Hypochaeris glabra
Common names: smooth cat's-ear
Hypochaeris glabra (smooth cat’s-ear) is an annual flowering herb (family Asteraceae) found throughout California, except in the Great Basin and desert. Smooth cat’s-ear prefers disturbed places, such as roadsides, orchards and landscaped areas, as well as grasslands, woodland and scrub. It is commonly found in overgrazed rangeland. The yellow flowers of smooth cat’s-ear look similar to dandelion flowers, and produce seeds that are dispersed by the wind, soil movement, and by clinging to animals and humans. Cultivation can be used to control smooth cat’s-ear, but grazing, mowing or burning can encourage growth and seed germination. Although smooth cat’s-ear is widespread, its impacts appear to be relatively minor.
Cal-IPC Rating: Limited?CDFA Rating: None?
Assessment(s)
Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed Management Notes
- Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.
Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
There are no newsletter articles associated with this species yet.
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
- Does horse manure harbor invasive plants? Quinn, Lauren; Davis, Bonnie; Kolipinski, Mietek; Ghosh, Sibdas (2006)
- Exotics in the southern California vernal pool ecosystem. Bauder, Ellen T. (1996)
- The effects of fire frequency and firebreaks on the abundance and species richness of exotic plant species in coastal sage scrub. Giessow, Jason; Zedler, Paul (1996)
Other Hypochaeris glabra Information
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
- EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
- Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.
Additional photos
