Pilosella officinarum, mouse-ear hawkweed, 100 seeds, Hieracium pilosella

Hieracium pilosella (syn. Pilosella officinarum), mouse-ear hawkweed seeds

 

Pilosella officinarum commonly referred to as mouse-ear hawkweed and has synonym as Hieracium pilosella. Mouse-ear hawkweed is a native plant to northern Asia and Europe. It is a perennial plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. The plant grows in dry, sunny regions and grows to the height of about 30cm. The whole plant apart from the flowers is hairy.

Hieracium pilosella has evergreen leaves, blunt, acute with a ranging length of 4-10 cm. That appears more hairy on the upper part and soft, white and shaggy underneath. The leaves are attractive and spatulated. The plant has a leafless stem that rises from the centre of the rosette and bears a solitary, lemon yellow flower head. The flower head has several ray florets that have their outer rays striped with a red colour. The plant blooms in May to October. The flowers are always short before they can fully bloom. The flower bud of the plant is often more of a red-yellow colour that turns to lemon yellow after fully opening. The plant has both spherical gland at its tip and conical base that have black hair and slightly picky to protect the bud as it blooms. The plant can withstand very harsh weather condition.
Hieracium pilosella is hermaphrodite. This means that it has both the male and the female organs. It can, therefore, fertilise itself through pollination enabled by the insects or cross-pollination. The plant has attractive flowers that produce nectar that invites the insects. The insects attracted by the flower are majorly bees.

Mouse-ear hawkweed is used for medicinal purposes by various states. Its remedy is reported to relax the muscles of the bronchial tubes, reduce catarrh production and stimulate the cough reflex. Such action combination has made the Mouse-ear hawkweed herb effective in treating several respiratory problems like whooping cough, chronic coughs and asthma. The Hieracium pilosella is harvested and dried from which its herb is grind3ed and mixed with other herbs to be used effectively. While at its fresh state, the plant is considered antibiotic. Treatment of small wounds and cuts has also been reported effective by the plant. The plant needs to be harvested in June while it flowers and can be used fresh or dried. The plant also attracts wild animals and is a good browse for some animals. The flowers of the plant are so active and are considered as an ornament by other gardeners.