soft hawk's-beard

Crepis mollis is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, belonging to the genus Crepis, the hawk's-beards. This species is native to central and northern Europe, distributed from the British Isles and Scandinavia eastward through Germany, Poland, and into Russia, typically in montane and subalpine habitats. The epithet 'mollis' means 'soft' in Latin, referring to the softly hairy or villous texture of the leaves and stems, which distinguishes this species from related glabrous or scabrid Crepis taxa. Crepis mollis is a meadow hawk's-beard associated with damp, species-rich mountain meadows, hay meadows, mires, and woodland clearings. It reaches 30–80 centimeters in height, with a basal rosette of oblanceolate to elliptic leaves, softly hairy on both surfaces. The cauline leaves are few, clasping or semi-amplexicaul at the base. Capitula are several to many on a branched stem, bearing yellow ligulate florets. Phyllaries are covered with soft, often dark hairs. Achenes are fusiform and ridged, with a white pappus of fine bristles. Crepis mollis is associated with traditional extensively managed hay meadow habitats that are increasingly rare in modern agricultural landscapes due to fertilization and early mowing. It serves as an indicator species of high-quality, species-rich grasslands. The species supports a range of pollinators and is often found alongside other meadow specialists. Its declining abundance in intensively farmed areas makes it a conservation concern in several European countries.