SONCHUS
Sonchus
L., Sp. Pl. 2: 793. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 347. 1754: Shi & Kilan, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 20-21: 239; Hyatt, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 19- 21: 273.
Herbs, annual, biennial or perennial. Stem erect, branched distally or throughout, usually glabrous, sometimes stipitate- glands (only distally). Leaves basal and cauline or mostly cauline; basal usually petiolate (petiole usually winged); cauline often sessile; leaf blades mostly oblong, oblanceolate or lanceolate; bases often auriculate; leaf margin usually 1-pinnately lobed, ultimate margins usually dentate (teeth often +/- prickly), sometimes entire. Capitula borne in corymbiform to subumbelliform arrays. Peduncles glabrous, tomentose or with stipitate glandular hairs. Capitula ligulate with (30-) 80-250 (-450+) florets. Involucre campanulate to broadly campanulate to urceolate, 5-15+ mm diameter. Phyllaries 27-50 in 3-5 series, green, glabrous or glandular hairy; outer phyllaries in few series gradually longer centripetally, +/- imbricate with longest 1/2-3/4 as long as inner ones; inner phyllaries 8-15, +/- equal in length, linear-lanceolate to linear. Receptacle epaleate. All florets ligulate. Corolla yellow to orange; anthers yellowish to brownish apically. Cypselae brownish, ovoid to ellipsoid, +/- compressed, narrowed towards both ends, usually 2-5 ribs on each face, faces sometimes transversely rugulose or tuberculate, glabrous. Pappus white, caducous or persistent, 80-100+, outer usually free in +/- 1 series, inner basally connate, in 2-3 series; pappus very fine or thicker.
98 species
Sonchus asper
Sonchus asper
(L.) Hill, Herb. Brit. 1: 47. 1769; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 287. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 404. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 392. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 433. 2006; Shi & Kilan, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 20-21: 241; Hyatt, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 19-21: 275; Sonchus oleraceus L. var. asper L., Sp. Pl. 2: 794. 1753; S. spinosus Lam., Fl. Franc. 2: 86. 1779.
Herbs, annual, 10-120 cm tall. Stems usually unbranched and glabrous below. Radical/ basal leaves in a rosette; basal and lower cauline leaves petiolate, 7-17 (-25) cm x 2.5-4 (-8) cm, obovate, spatulate, elliptic, undivided or +/- irregularly pinnatifid to pinnatisect, glabrous, base attenuate and +/- auriculate, margin sinuately densely prickly dentate, apex acute, acuminate or obtuse; lateral lobes +/- triangular, semiorbicular or elliptic, runcinate. Middle and upper stem leaves spatulate to lanceolate, base auriculately clasping with conspicuous rounded recurved and appressed auricles, otherwise similar to lower leaves. Synflorescence soft, hollow, glandular in upper part, densely corymbiform, with few to many capitula. Capitula ligulate with many florets. Peduncle 0.5-5 cm, slender, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Involucre 9-13 mm, +/- campanulate to urceolate. Phyllaries 30+ in 3-5 series; outer 5-8 mm x 1-3 mm, triangular lanceolate with 1 to few surface teeth on outer face (stalks of glandular hairs); inner 9-12 mm x 1-2 mm, linear lanceolate, margin membranous, glabrous. Receptacle flat or convex, pitted, epaleate. Ray florets: 1.1-1.3 cm long. Corolla yellow; tube little longer than limb, hairy in upper part; limb 1-1.2 cm long and ca. 1 mm wide, 5-toothed at apex, spreading. Anthers ca. 1 mm long, apiculate, appendage black, rest yellow. Ovary ca. 1.5-2 mm long, winged laterally; Style slender, hairy near apex. Cypselae 2-3 mm long, stramneous to reddish brown, mostly ellipsoid, strongly compressed, +/- winged, 3 slender ribs on both faces between lateral ribs, smooth. Pappus ca. 7 mm long, +/- caducous, white, smooth; outer in one series, usually free; inner in 2-3 series, basally connate.
Common Names: Spiny-leaf Sow Thistle, Laiteron rude, Prickly Sow Thistle, Spiny Sow Thistle; Dudhi (Hindi)
