Rough Hawkbit - Leontodon hispidus

Low to medium rosette-forming plant. Each flower is on a long, leafless stem. The leaves, stem and buds are usually covered in numerous hairs. The leaves have forked hairs (use hand-lens). The solitary flowerheads are 25 to 40 mm and are bright yellow, the outer rays usually orange or reddish beneath.

Can be variable in degree of hairness, and all othe characters.  According to Stace (4th edition), the outer row of achenes has simple pappus hairs, unlike L saxatilis which has pappus as a scaly ring; this character is consistent. 

Other hawkbits (Leontodon and Scorzoneroides), Hawkweeds (Hieracium and Pilosella) and Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris).

Stems leafless but with a few bracts, leaves have forked hairs (Autumnal Hawkbit and Cat's-ear have simple hairs).  Bracts usually very hairy.

A side-on picture of the flowerhead and stem. This cannot be verified form a 'full-face' picture looking down onto the flowerhead; there are very many similar flowers.

Railway embankments and other grassy habitats, often on well drained calcareous soil.

June to October.

Perennial.

Widespread and fairly frequent in much of Britain except the far north.

Fairly frequent in some areas, but rather local in distribution throughout Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 324 of the 617 tetrads.