Fall germinating plants exist as basal rosettes until flowering stems bolt in spring. Plants adapt to many environmental conditions, are highly competitive for water and nutrients, and often produces solid stands . Introduced from southern Europe . Midvein and margins often purplish-red.
First rosette leaves entire with toothed margins.
Subsequent leaves increasingly lobed. Rosette leaves oblong to obovate, to 8 cm long, sessile or petioled, covered with short stiff hairs, and deeply once - pinnately divided with lobes narrow and opposing . Stems longitudinally ridged. Dense, fibrous roots. June until soil moisture is depleted.