Etymology: Hieracium: classical name hierakion from ancient Greek hierax, "a hawk".  The Roman naturalist Pliny believed that hawks fed on this plant to strengthen their eyesight and thus it became the Greek and Latin name for this and similar plants, called hawkweed.
Plants: erect, perennial, 2'-5' tall forb with milky juice, lower part with dense, long hairs; stems leafless above the middle; roots not forming mat
Leaves: very long-haired, many, narrowly elliptical, mostly basal with a few smaller stem leaves
Flowers: head 1/2" wide with yellow rays; inflorescence of several heads in long, cylindrical clusters; blooms July-Aug.
Habitat: dry; prairies, fields; in sandy soil
Conservation Status: Native

Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 6 Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos