Flower:

A cluster of 5 to 30+ dandelion-like flowers at the top of the stem, usually open. Flowers are yellow, ½ inch to 1 inch diameter with 30 to 80+ rays (petals). The bracts (phyllaries) surrounding the base of the flower are narrow, 1/3 to ½ inch (9 to 11+ mm) long, the tips often spreading, and hairless or sparsely covered in short hairs, rarely with any long or glandular hairs. Flower stalks are typically covered in tiny star-shaped hairs.

Leaves and stems:

Leaves are alternate, 1 to 4+ inches long, ½ to 1+ inches wide, lance-elliptic, stalkless, sometimes clasping, blunt to pointed at the tip, becoming smaller as they ascend the stem. Around the edges are usually a few widely spaced teeth or tooth-like projections and very short rough hairs; the surface is usually rough textured from star-shaped hairs. Stems are single, unbranched, erect to ascending, hairless or with sparse long hairs and/or star-shaped hairs.

Fruit:

Fruit is a dry seed that ripens to black, with a tuft of light brown hair to carry it off in the wind.

Notes:

Widespread in all but the southwest prairie regions, Narrow-leaf Hawkweed is found in a variety of habitats, including meadows, shores, woods and woodland edges, roadsides and rock outcrops, in wet to dry soil that is almost always sandy or rocky. Not to be confused with the several non-native Hawkweeds or other species with yellow dandelion-type flowers, H. umbellatum has leafier stems, no basal leaves, and stem leaves are usually irregularly toothy and rough textured. It can also grow taller than most; I once saw a small group of plants in dense shade that were at least 5 feet tall, though 3 to 4 feet is not uncommon.