Sonchus oleraceus
L. Sow ThistleAnnuals or biennials to c. 1.8 m high. Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate in outline, entire, pinnatifid, pinnatisect, occasionally almost bipinnatisect, thin-textured, glabrous, often glaucous, apex acute or obtuse, margins entire or denticulate, not prickly; basal leaves rosetted or not, 4–25 cm long, 2–10 cm wide lacking auricles; cauline leaves 3–35 cm long, 2–12 cm wide, with acute auricles. Peduncles glabrous or glandular-hairy; involucre 8–13 mm long; bracts glabrous, glabrescent or with persistent glandular hair along midline; ligules 5–8 mm long, c. equal to corolla-tube. Cypselas obovoid, 2.2–3.2 mm long, moderately compressed, 3-ribbed on each face, transversely wrinkled all over, margins narrow, glabrous; pappus 5–8 mm long. Flowers most of the year.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas, New Zealand. Native to Europe and south-western Asia. Native to Europe and south-western Asia. Almost throughout Victoria and a common weed of disturbed areas, gardens etc., as well as reasonably intact native vegetation.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Asteraceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 652–666. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
