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common sow-thistle

prickly sow-thistle

Habit Plants annual or biennial, 10–150+ cm; taprooted. Plants annual or biennial, 10–120+ cm; taprooted.
Stems

hollow.

hollow.

Leaves

5–35 × 1–15 cm, usually pinnately lobed;

lobes deltate to lanceolate;

auricles straight, not coiled against stem;

lobes acute.

5–30 × 1–15 cm, usually pinnately lobed;

lobes deltate;

auricles coiled against stems;

lobes rounded.

Involucres

9–13+ mm.

9–15 mm.

Florets

15–150+;

ligules 10–30 mm; ? tubes, yellow.

20–150+;

ligules 10–15+ mm, usually < tubes, yellow.

Phyllaries

12–50+;

surfaces glabrous or stipitate-glandular.

20–50;

surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes hispid or stipitate-glandular.

Fruits

2.5–3.8 mm, dark brown, rugulose or tuberculate.

2–3 mm; straw-colored to reddish brown; smooth.

2n

=32, 36.

=18.

Sonchus oleraceus

Sonchus asper

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hillsides, roadsides, streambanks, fields, disturbed areas. Flowering Apr–Oct. 0–1400 m. Col, CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; Europe. Exotic.

Open woods, meadows, hillsides, dunes, disturbed sites, streambanks. Flowering May–Sep. 0–1500 m. Casc, CR, ECas, Est, Lava, Owy, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; Europe. Exotic.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 348
Kenton Chambers
Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 348
Kenton Chambers
Sibling taxa
S. arvensis, S. asper
S. arvensis, S. oleraceus
Synonyms Sonchus asper ssp. asper
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