mouse-ear hawkweed

Pilosella subulatissima is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, belonging to the genus Pilosella, commonly known as mouse-ear hawkweeds. Pilosella is closely related to Hieracium and has been treated as a subgenus or segregate genus depending on taxonomic authority. Like Hieracium, Pilosella is notoriously complex taxonomically due to widespread apomixis and hybridization, generating numerous microspecies of limited distribution. The epithet 'subulatissima' derives from Latin meaning 'most awl-shaped' or 'very subulate,' referring to particularly narrow, awl-shaped leaves or involucre phyllaries. Mouse-ear hawkweeds are characteristically low-growing rosette plants that spread via stolons (runners), allowing clonal reproduction and mat formation in suitable habitats. The leaves are typically small, elliptic to spathulate, densely covered with stellate or simple white hairs giving them a grayish-green appearance. Flowering stems are leafless scapes bearing solitary or few capitula with yellow or occasionally orange-tinged ligulate florets. Pilosella species are characteristic plants of short turf grasslands, heathlands, rocky outcrops, sandy soils, and disturbed open habitats across Europe and western Asia. They tolerate nutrient-poor, well-drained soils and are often indicators of traditional low-intensity land use. Several Pilosella species have become invasive in North America, New Zealand, and other regions outside their native range, where they form dense monocultures suppressing native vegetation. Conservation of native Pilosella diversity depends on maintenance of traditional grassland management.