Sonchus hydrophilus
Boulos Native Sow-thistleAnnual, biennial or perennial, 50–170 cm high. Leaves usually lanceolate to oblanceolate in outline, herbaceous, glabrous, sometimes glaucous; basal leaves rosetted, 5–30 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, apex mucronate, margins toothed to shallowly sinuate-pinnatifid; cauline leaves 10–40 cm long, 2–6 cm wide, with rounded appressed auricles, margins toothed to pinnatifid. Peduncles usually sparsely glandular-hairy; involucre 10–15 mm long; bracts glabrous or with glandular hairs along midline; ligules 4–5 mm long, shorter than corolla-tube. Cypselas elliptic, mostly 3–4 mm long, compressed, 3-ribbed on each face, margins winged, smooth or somewhat scabrous at each end; pappus 7–9 mm long, more or less caducous. Flowers most of the year.
MuM, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU. All States. New Guinea, New Zealand. Apparently widespread in Victoria but exact distribution uncertain due to confusion with Sonchus asper. Usually found in wet soil around the edges of lakes or swamps or on stream banks.
Resembles Sonchus asper but has generally softer, less deeply divided leaves, larger cypselas and larger pollen grains. Its relationships to the similar S. gigas Boulos from Africa are in need of investigation.
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
