OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Sonchus asper

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)

Sonchus asper

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-08-002:

Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Sonchus asper

 

COMMON NAME:
Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_soas_001_lvd

        

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_soas_008_lvd

        

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970    swus_page_435

        

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm200229_2918

February    Georgetown County    SC

East Bay Park

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm200229_2921

February    Georgetown County    SC

East Bay Park

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

Gill Newberry    gn04_s_asper_inflor

April        

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_578

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_582

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_588

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Leaf margins sharp-spiny & undulating, lower leaves deeply pinnately lobed, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_590

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Rounded ear-like projections at leaf bases clasping the stem, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_591

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_593b

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Involucres 10-13mm long, 8-14mm broad, bracts lanceolate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE involucral bracts of DYCs with ray flowers only (no disc)

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_605

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm120406_605b

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Rays light yellow, 1.5-2.5cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm140521_099

May    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm140521_101

May    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm230531_3688

May    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm170914_0459

September    Haywood County    NC

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm170914_0462

September    Haywood County    NC

image of Sonchus asper, Prickly Sowthistle, Spiny-leaf Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm170914_0465

September    Haywood County    NC

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sonchus asper

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Sonchus asper

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-08-002:
Sonchus asper   FAMILY Asteraceae_

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Sonchus asper

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1438

Forb
Winter annual

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, pastures, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: Europe

Common

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.


Invasive?

This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaves prickly ("spinulose-dentate")

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Rays: Yellow
Disc: Absent
Inferior ovary
Ray flowers bisexual

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Reddish-brown
Achene

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME: