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 oleraceus   FAMILY Asteraceae_   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sonchus oleraceus   FAMILY Asteraceae_

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

Sonchus oleraceus

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

Sonchus oleraceus

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-08-003:

Sonchus oleraceus   FAMILY Asteraceae_

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

Sonchus oleraceus

 

COMMON NAME:
Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle


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

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_sool_001_lvd

        

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970    swus_page_437

        

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060517_016

May    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Leaves dentate, but not spinulose; leaf base sagittate-auriculate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060517_020

May    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Most leaves conspicuously sagittate-clasping with pointed basal lobes, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm0506b_16

June    Greenville County    SC

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm0506b_17

June    Greenville County    SC

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060609_004

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_001

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_003

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Flower heads average about 3/4" across, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_004

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Involucres 8-13mm long, 6-14mm broad; bracts rarely glandular, 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 oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_006

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

Pappus bristles white, capillary, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_020

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

JK Marlow    jkm060620_021

June    Greenville County    SC

Parking lot

image of Sonchus oleraceus, Annual Sowthistle, Common Sowthistle

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_sonchus_oleraceus

July        

 

 

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

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sonchus oleraceus   FAMILY Asteraceae_

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

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

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-08-003:
Sonchus oleraceus   FAMILY Asteraceae_

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

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1439

Forb
Winter annual

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

Non-native: Europe

Common in Coastal Plain of GA & SC, rare in NC Mountains (uncommon elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

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 dentate, but not prickly

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: