Crepis capillaris (smooth hawksbeard) is a herbaceous weed, up to about 50cm tall. It has most leaves in a rosette, but has smaller leaves on the erect stem. The flower heads are numerous, about 1cm wide and with yellow flowers.  Unlike its less common relative, C. setosa (bristly hawksbeard), the stems and leaves are not hairy and the individual fruit lack beaks (i.e. narrow sections between the body of the fruit and the feathery pappus).