perennial sowthistle
Sonchus arvensis L.
Overview
- Appearance
- Sonchus arvensis is a perennial herbaceous plant. Stems can reach 4.9 ft. (1.5 m) in height and contain milky sap.
- Foliage
- Leaves are sessile, alternate, clasping, up to 12 in. (30.5 cm) long and decrease in size further up the stem, margins undulate with sharp spines.
- Flowers
- Flowering occurs in June to October, when yellow, tight, dandelion-like flower heads develop at the tips of the branches. Flowers open 2-3 hours after sunrise and close about noon.
- Fruit
- Fruits are reddish, ribbed and have a tuft of hair at the top.
- Ecological Threat
- Sonchus arvensis occurs along roadsides, railroads and other disturbed habitat. It is native to Eurasia.
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alaska Noxious Weeds
- Alberta Weed Control Act
- California Noxious Weeds
- City of Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation
- Colorado Noxious Weeds
- Idaho Noxious Weeds
- Illinois Noxious Weeds
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Michigan Noxious Weeds
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- Nevada Noxious Weeds
- New Hampshire Invasive Plant Species Watch List
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Ohio Noxious Weeds
- South Dakota Noxious Weeds
- Washington Noxious Weeds
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- Wyoming Noxious Weeds
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass: Asteridae |
| Order: Asterales |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Genus: Sonchus |
| Subject: Sonchus arvensis L. |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
field sowthistle, creeping sowthistle, field sow-thistle