Sonchus oleraceus |
Sonchus |
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annual sow-thistle, common sow-thistle, laiteron, sow thistle |
laiteron, sow-thistle |
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Habit | Annuals or biennials, 10–140(–200) cm. | Annuals, biennials, or perennials [shrubs], 3–350+ cm; taprooted, rhizomatous, or stoloniferous. | ||||||||||||||||
Stem(s) | bases soft to hard, herbaceous, often hollow. |
erect, branched distally or throughout, usually glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular (mostly distally). |
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Leaves | blades of mid cauline spatulate or oblong to obovate or lanceolate, 6–35 × 1–15 cm, bases auriculate, auricles deltate to lanceolate, ± straight, acute, margins usually pinnately (often runcinately) lobed, lobes ± deltate to lanceolate, not constricted at bases, terminals usually larger than laterals, entire or dentate. |
basal and cauline or mostly cauline; basal usually petiolate (petioles usually winged), cauline often sessile; blades mostly oblong, oblanceolate, or lanceolate, (bases often auriculate) margins usually 1(–2)-pinnately lobed, ultimate margins usually dentate (teeth often ± prickly), sometimes entire. |
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Peduncles | usually glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular. |
not notably dilated distally, usually ± bracteolate, glabrous or stipitate-glandular and/or tomentose. |
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Involucres | 9–13+ mm. |
campanulate to urceolate, 5–15+ mm diam. |
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Receptacles | flat to convex, ± pitted, glabrous, epaleate. |
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Florets | [30–]80–250[–450+]; corollas yellow to orange (not deliquescent; anthers yellowish to brownish apically). |
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Corollas | ligules ± equaling tubes. |
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Phyllaries | usually glabrous, sometimes tomentose and/or stipitate-glandular. |
27–50 in 3–5+ series, unequal, green, deltate to lanceolate or linear, margins sometimes narrowly scarious (sometimes ciliate), apices acute (faces glabrous or stipitate- to setose-glandular). |
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Calyculi | 0. |
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Heads | borne in corymbiform to subumbelliform arrays. |
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Cypselae | dark brown, mostly oblanceoloid, 2.5–3.5+ mm, ribs 2–4 on each face, faces transversely rugulose or tuberculate across and between ribs; pappi 5–8 mm. |
stramineous or reddish to dark brown, ± compressed, mostly oblong or oblanceoloid to ellipsoid, beaks 0, ribs usually 2–4(–5+) on each face, faces sometimes transversely rugulose or tuberculate, glabrous; pappi tardily falling or persistent, of 80–100+, white, smooth or barbellulate bristles (some flattened, ± setiform scales), outer usually distinct in ± 1 series, inner basally coherent or connate, in 2–3+ series. |
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x | = 9. |
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2n | = 32, 36. |
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Sonchus oleraceus |
Sonchus |
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Phenology | Flowering (Apr–)Jul–Oct (year-round in south). | |||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Disturbed sites, gardens, roadsides, along streams | |||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 0–2000 m [0–6600 ft] | |||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM; Greenland; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Bahamas, Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
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Europe (Mediterranean); w Asia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands [Introduced in North America; some species introduced nearly worldwide] |
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Discussion | Species 50–60+ (5 in the flora). Sonchus species are herbs in North America; some are sometimes woody at bases. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 19, p. 275. | FNA vol. 19, p. 273. | ||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 794. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 793. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 347. (1754) | ||||||||||||||||
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