Lamb's Succory
Arnoseris minima
Lamb's Succory is a small annual herb in the daisy family, characterized by its rosette of narrow, toothed leaves and tiny yellow flower heads that close in cloudy weather. This diminutive plant typically grows 5-20 cm tall and plays a role in supporting specialized invertebrates adapted to nutrient-poor sandy environments.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnoseris
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Arnoseris
Lamb's Succory belongs to the family Asteraceae, order Asterales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Lamb's Succory is a small annual herb in the daisy family, characterized by its rosette of narrow, toothed leaves and tiny yellow flower heads that close in cloudy weather. This diminutive plant typically grows 5-20 cm tall and plays a role in supporting specialized invertebrates adapted to nutrient-poor sandy environments.
Lamb's Succory has declined dramatically across its European range due to the intensification of agriculture and abandonment of traditional low-intensity farming practices. The species requires nutrient-poor, sandy soils that are maintained by extensive grazing or cultivation, but modern agricultural practices have either enriched soils through fertilization or led to habitat abandonment and succession.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Lamb's Succory thrives in nutrient-poor, acidic sandy soils of arable field margins, fallow land, and extensively managed heathland edges. It is particularly associated with traditional farming landscapes where low-intensity cultivation maintains the open, disturbed ground conditions it requires.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Lamb's Succory has declined dramatically across its European range due to the intensification of agriculture and abandonment of traditional low-intensity farming practices. The species requires nutrient-poor, sandy soils that are maintained by extensive grazing or cultivation, but modern agricultural practices have either enriched soils through fertilization or led to habitat abandonment and succession.
Abandonment of traditional extensive farming
Agricultural intensification and fertilizer use
Habitat succession and scrubland encroachment
Loss of sandy heathland and grassland habitats
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Lamb's Succory (Arnoseris minima). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/lambs-succory