King Devil
Hieracium pratense
Family Asteraceae
Characteristics:
* In the hawkweed family. Flower coarse, hairy, yellow.
* Stems bristly, covered with blackish hairs.
* Leaves hairy on both sides.
* Height: 1-5'.
Natural History:
* Flowers May - August.
* Habitat: Fields, roadsides.
* Range: Eastern Canada to northeastern United States, south in the mountains.
* Introduced from Europe.
Connections!
* For a time, King Devil and other European hawkweeds were used as an
herbal remedy for healing eyesight. Pliny reported, in ancient Greece,
that hawks ate it to see better.
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