about 200, see text Crepis, commonly known in some parts of the world as hawksbeard or hawk's-beard (but not to be confused with the related genus Hieracium with a similar common name), is a genus of annual and perennial flowering plants of the family Asteraceae superficially resembling the dandelion, the most conspicuous difference being that Crepis usually has branching scapes with multiple heads (though solitary heads can occur).

The genus name Crepis derives from the Greek krepis, meaning "slipper" or "sandal", possibly in reference to the shape of the fruit.

[7] As with several other genera in Asteraceae, multiple Crepis species exhibit apomixis, a form of asexual reproduction where flowers produce clonal seeds without need of fertilization.

[16] The mixed apomict-sexual parantage may produce a polyploid hybrid (as has been observed when the apomictic C. barbigera breeds with diploid species C. atribarba[17]).

Apomictic clades elsewhere in Cichorieae have demonstrated an ability to "revert" to a sexual mode of reproduction, reducing the risk of extinction through lack of introgression.

Apomicts do not require input of genetic material for another individual, and can therefore produce seeds on maturity without the aid of pollinators.

Because apomixis in Crepis involves multiple ploidy levels, there is sufficient genetic variation for adaptation to novel ecosystems.

[20] In Crete, Greece the leaves of Crepis commutata which are called glykosyrida (γλυκοσυρίδα) are eaten raw, boiled, steamed or browned in salads.

[citation needed] The genus Crepis is a rich source of costus lactone-type guaianolides,[21] a class of sesquiterpene lactones.