About Urospermum picroides (L.) Scop. ex F.W.Schmidt
Urospermum picroides, the scientific name for this species, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, commonly known by the name prickly goldenfleece. It is native to Eurasia, and has been introduced to many other regions around the world, including North America, South America, Australia, and southern Africa. It typically grows as a common weed in areas of disturbed habitat. This is an annual herb that reaches heights between 30 and 50 centimeters tall. The entire plant is covered in long hairs and bristles. Its bristly leaves come in a range of shapes, and are often divided into many sharp-toothed lobes. The inflorescence produces flower heads that grow on thick peduncles. Each flower head measures 1 to 2 centimeters long or longer, and is filled with yellow ray florets. The flower head is wrapped in several pointed phyllaries that are covered in bristly hairs. Its fruit is an achene that measures well over one centimeter in length, and is tipped with a pappus made of bristles.
