Prickly sow-thistle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prickly sow-thistle |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sonchus
|
| Species: |
asper
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Synonymy
Sonchus oleraceus var. asper L. 1753
Sonchus aemulus Merino Sonchus australis Hort. ex Colla Sonchus borderi Gand. Sonchus carolinianus Walter Sonchus crocifolius Hort. ex Sch.Bip. Sonchus cuspidatus Blume Sonchus decipiens (De Not.) Zenari Sonchus eryngiifolius Sosn. Sonchus eryngioides DC. Sonchus fallax Wallr. Sonchus ferox Wall. Sonchus glaber Thunb. Sonchus infestus Poepp. ex DC. Sonchus oleraceus Wall. 1831 not L. 1753 Sonchus spinosus Lam. Sonchus spinulosus Bigel. Sonchus sulphureus Boiss. Sonchus tibesticus Quézel Sonchus umbellatus E.Mey. ex DC. Sonchus viridis Zenari Sonchus eryngiifolius Sosn. ex Grossh. Sonchus giganteus Shuttlew. ex Rouy Sonchus glaucescens Jord. Sonchus graecus Reut. ex E.Weiss Sonchus kralikii Rouy Sonchus nymanii Tineo & Guss. |
|
Sonchus asper, the prickly sow-thistle, rough milk thistle, spiny sowthistle, sharp-fringed sow thistle, or spiny-leaved sow thistle, is a widespread flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae.
Description
Sonchus asper is an annual or biennial herb sometimes reaching a height of 200 cm. with spiny leaves and yellow flowers resembling those of the dandelion. The leaves are bluish-green, simple, lanceolate, with wavy and sometimes lobed margins, covered in spines on both the margins and beneath. The base of the leaf surrounds the stem. The leaves and stems emit a milky sap when cut. One plant will produce several flat-topped arrays of flower heads, each head containing numerous yellow ray flowers but no disc flowers.
Distribution
Sonchus asper is native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. It has also become naturalized on other continents and is regarded as a noxious, invasive weed in many places. Its edible leaves make a palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable.
It is found in cultivated soil, pastures, roadsides, edges of yards, vacant lots, construction sites, waste areas and in grasslands.
See also
In Spanish: Sonchus asper para niños
