Kingdom Plantae Tribe Cichorieae Rank Species | Family Asteraceae Genus Cat's ear Order Asterales | |
 | ||
Similar Cat's ear, Hypochaeris sessiliflora, Hypochaeris oligocephala, Hypochaeris glabra, Hypochaeris robertia | ||
Hypochaeris chillensis (sometimes spelled Hypochoeris) also known as Brazilian cat's ear is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family. It is native to South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay) but has become naturalized in parts of North America, South Africa. and Taiwan. It is a common and widespread weed in the Southeast United States.
Hypochaeris chillensis is a perennial herb growing a taproot, a basal rosette of leaves, and one or more thin stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are 5 to 25 centimeters long, entire or lobed, and green. Atop the thin, naked stems are flower heads with small golden yellow ray florets, typically 1 cm in diameter.
Uses
Hypochaeris chillensis is used as medicinal plant in Brazil. The leaves and roots are edible either raw or cooked.