FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Hieracium strictophyllum, Stain-leaved Hawkweed, Blettafífill

Hieracium strictophyllum; the Stain-leaved Hawkweed is a purple-stained plant. The stems are (often?) purple. Most characteristic are the purple-stained leaves. They are purple on the top and purple-spotted below the tops. These leaves are rather narrow (lanceolate), usually 5-9 leaves along the stem. The stem has long hairs, while the bracts have both long hairs and short glandular hairs. These glands are globular and yellow-colored.

On this page I have added a few photo' s all belonging to one single plant. This plant resembles the stain-leaved hawkweed but differs too. It has purple stems with long hairs. The bracts have long white hairs with short black bristles with yellow glands. This structure can also be found on the top part of the stem. The leaves have the purple tops. Also, they are lanceolate shaped. However this plant does noet have the spots, characteristic for H. strictophyllum. Also the stems have only a single leaf or so in the very bottom of the plant. Therefore it resembles H. strictophyllum but is most likely another microspecies. I photographed this species at Hesteyri in the north-western fjords. It seems H. strictophyllum does not grow there....
It is a member of the Asteraceae (syn.: Compositae) family, i.e. daisy family. The Icelandic name of this species is Blettafífill.

Hieracium spp (introduction page on hawkweeds)
Hieracium alpinum (Alpine Hawkweed)
Hieracium thaectolepium (Hillside Hawkweeed)
Hieracium aquiliforme (Hearth Hawkweed)
Another Hieracium spp (a Hawkweed)
Hieracium islandicum, aka Pilosella islandica (Icelandic Hawkweed))

It is member of the Asteraceae (syn.: Compositae) family, i.e. daisy family.

A brief introduction to Iceland plants
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other Daisy family members

Other Daisy family members

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  OTHER PHOTO'S:  

detail of leaves

flower head

top stem / bottom inflorescence bracts

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Natural History of Iceland Site  in Dutch

Natural History of Iceland Site  Dutch