Summary ⁶

Common crupina (Crupina vulgaris) is an erect, slender, annual that can grow up to 3 feet high. It is also commonly known as bearded creeper, false saw-wort, and starry scabious. Flowers can be pink to purple in color protrude through a whorl of stiff bracts. There are 1-5 flowers per branch, and the plant has numerous branches that can accommodate up to 40 flower heads. The first rosette leaves are circular and slightly toothed. Later rosette leaves and stem leaves are highly dissected, alternate, and have stiff spines along the edges. Leaves become progressively smaller further up the stem. Seeds have barbed hairs on one side, allowing them to attache to animals and achieve wide distribution.

Source:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1je98xJW1ukFe6zzLepG0_PX2fEAN_s9c/view
http://www.cwma.org/CommonCrupina.html

Identification ⁶

Height: 1-2 feet tall
Shape: Upright forb
Flowers: Pink, lavender or purple ray flowers, 1-5 per branch, stiff bracts whorl arounf the base of the flower head
Stems: Main stem terminates in one to several short flowering branches: additional flowering branches originate in upper leaf axils.
Leaves: Rosette leaves are egg-shaped with smooth to slightly toothed margins. Older rosette leaves and stem leaves are pinnately to bi-pinnately lobed, highly dissected, alternate, have stiff spines along the edges, and decrease in size further up the stem.
Seeds: Ring of dark, stiff barbs encircle the broad end of the seed giving the appearance of a fishing fly
Toxic: No
Root:

Source:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1je98xJW1ukFe6zzLepG0_PX2fEAN_s9c/view
http://www.cwma.org/CommonCrupina.html

Origin / Habitat ⁶

Common crupina is native to the Mediterranean region, and adapted to a wide range of soil and growing conditions. It can invade grasslands, rangelands, hay fields, and open forests. It commonly out-competes native plants, and decreases the value of forage and hay crops when present.

Source:
http://www.colorado.gov/agconservation/Factsheets/CommonCrupinaFactSheet.pdf
http://www.cwma.org/CommonCrupina.html

Sources and Credits

1. (c) jacinta lluch valero, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/70626035@N00/14067736437/
2. (c) 2015 Richard Spellenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=633640&one=T
3. (c) Thomas Koffel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Koffel
4. (c) David Renoult, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David Renoult
5. (c) 2016 Richard Spellenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=679990&one=T
6. (c) Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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