Leontodon crispus

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Virea nudicaulis
• Leontodon asper var. setulosus
• Leontodon visianii
• Apargia salina
• Apargia saxatilis
• Apargia tergestina
• Leontodon pratensis
• Leontodon rossianus
• Apargia nudicaulis
• Apargia crispa
• Leontodon crispus subsp. saxatilis
• Leontodon autranii
• Asterothrix crispa
• Leontodon crispus var. setulosus
• Leontodon froedinii var. setulosus
• Leontodon velebiticus
• Crepis nudicaulis
• Thrincia nudicaulis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Leontodon.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several key regions of the European continent. In Middle Europe, its presence is specifically noted within the borders of Switzerland. Moving toward the Mediterranean, it can be found throughout Southwestern Europe, including both France and Spain. The species also extends into Southeastern Europe, where it is documented in Albania. Finally, its range continues further east into the territory of Bulgaria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Leontodon crispus is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, though its lifespan may exhibit variable tendencies depending on environmental conditions. Structurally, the species functions as a hemicryptophyte, a life form in which the perennating buds are located at the soil surface, protected by residual leaf bases or organic matter during unfavorable seasons. This growth habit allows the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons, maintaining its biological presence within its ecological niche via these protected buds.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Leontodon crispus is characterized by a growth form classified as a herb and a forb, exhibiting a non-woody structure throughout its development. This plant is a self-supporting organism, functioning as neither a climber nor a liana, and it maintains an independent existence as it is not a parasite. In terms of its habitat and ecological positioning, it is a terrestrial species, lacking any epiphytic tendencies and remaining distinct from aquatic or semiaquatic environments.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Leonotis crispus is characterized by a metabolic framework governed by the C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and energy acquisition strategies. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the enzyme RuBisCO to facilitate the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound, typically 3-phosphoglycerate, during the Calvin cycle. This metabolic route implies that the plant's gas exchange and photosynthetic efficiency are highly sensitive to environmental variables such as light intensity, ambient temperature, and water availability, as the C3 pathway is prone to photorespiration when stomatal conductance decreases under heat or drought stress. The plant's physiological functions are further integrated with its specialized secondary metabolism, where the assimilation of carbon provides the necessary precursors for the biosynthesis of bioactive diterpenoids and other phytochemicals characteristic of its species.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Leontodon crispus has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 14-Hydroxyhypocretenolide, beta-d-glucoside.

14-Hydroxyhypocretenolide

1. Journal of natural products
2. Planta medica

beta-d-glucoside

1. Journal of natural products