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Vascular Plants of California
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Sonchus asper subsp. asper

PRICKLY SOW THISTLE


Higher Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)View DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: SUNFLOWER FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree. Leaf: basal and/or cauline, alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, simple to 2+ × compound. Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, resembling a flower, of several types (see below), 1--many in generally +- cyme-like cluster; each head generally with +- calyx-like involucre of 1--many series of phyllaries (involucre bracts); receptacle of head flat to conic or columnar, paleate (bearing paleae = receptacle bracts) or epaleate; flowers 1--many per head. Flower: bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, +- small, of several types (see below); calyx 0 or modified into +- persistent pappus of bristles, scales, and/or awns; corolla radial or bilateral (0), lobes generally (0)3--5; stamens 4--5, filaments generally free, generally fused to corolla at tube/throat junction, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, anther base generally rounded or cordate (deeply sagittate or with tail-like appendages), tip (= flattened appendage) generally projecting beyond pollen sac; pistil 1, 2-carpeled, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, placenta basal, style 1, tip generally +- 2-branched (except in some staminate disk flowers), branch tips truncate or generally bearing +- brush-like appendages; stigmas 2, generally on adaxial faces of style branches. Fruit: achene (also called a cypsela) (drupe in Chrysanthemoides), cylindric to ovoid, sometimes compressed, generally deciduous with pappus attached.
Genera In Family: +- 1500 genera, 23000 species: worldwide, many habitats. Note: Flower and head types differ in form and sexual condition. A disk flower has a generally radial corolla, with a cylindric tube, expanded throat, and generally 5 lobes. Disk flowers are generally bisexual and fertile but occasionally staminate with reduced ovaries. Discoid heads comprise only disk flowers. A radiant head is a variant of a discoid head, with peripheral disk flower corollas expanded, often bilateral. A ray flower corolla is bilateral, generally with a slender tube and flattened petal-like ray (single lip composed of generally 3 lobes). Ray flowers are generally pistillate or sterile (occasionally lacking styles). Radiate heads have peripheral ray flowers and central disk flowers. Disciform heads superficially resemble discoid heads, with pistillate or sterile flowers that lack rays, together with or separate from disk flowers. A ligulate flower is bisexual, with a bilateral, generally ephemeral corolla and 5-lobed ligule. Liguliflorous heads comprise only ligulate flowers. See glossary p. 31 for illustrations of family characteristics. Echinops sphaerocephalus L., Gaillardia aristata Pursh, Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Hymenothrix loomisii S.F. Blake, Tagetes erecta L., Thelesperma megapotamicum (Spreng.) Kuntze are waifs. Melampodium perfoliatum Kunth, historic urban waif. Ageratum conyzoides L., Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass., Santolina chamaecyparisus L., orth. var. are rare or uncommon escapes from cultivation. Dyssodia papposa, Ismelia carinata (Schousb.) Sch. Bip. [Chrysanthemum carinatum Schousb.], Mantisalca salmantica (L.) Briq. & Cavill. are historical or extirpated waifs in California. Inula helenium L. not documented in California. Taxa of Aster in TJM (1993) treated here in Almutaster, Doellingeria, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oreostemma, Sericocarpus, Symphyotrichum; Chamomilla in Matricaria; Bahia in Hymenothrix; Cnicus in Centaurea; Conyza in Erigeron and Laennecia; Dugaldia in Hymenoxys; Erechtites in Senecio; Hymenoclea in Ambrosia; Lembertia in Monolopia; Osteospermum ecklonis in Dimorphotheca; Picris echioides in Helminthotheca; Prionopsis in Grindelia; Raillardiopsis in Anisocarpus and Carlquistia; Schkuhria multiflora in Picradeniopsis; Trimorpha in Erigeron; Venidium in Arctotis; Viguiera in Aldama and Bahiopsis; Whitneya in Arnica. Amauriopsis in TJM2 (2012) treated here in Hymenothrix; Arida in Leucosyris; Bahia in Picradeniopsis; Eucephalus in Doellingeria.
Unabridged Note: Largest family of vascular plants in California and of eudicots globally.
eFlora Treatment Author: David J. Keil, except as noted
Scientific Editor: David J. Keil, Bruce G. Baldwin.
Genus: SonchusView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Common Name: SOW THISTLE
Habit: Annual to perennial herb [shrub]; sap milky. Stem: erect, smooth, distally branched. Leaf: basal and cauline, alternate, +- entire to toothed and coarsely pinnate-lobed; cauline generally sessile, clasping. Inflorescence: heads liguliflorous, in cyme-like clusters; involucre swollen at base; phyllaries generally in 3 series, outer many, short-triangular, inner series linear, tapered; receptacle +- flat, epaleate. Flower: many; ligule yellow, readily withering. Fruit: generally +- flat, beakless; pappus of many fine, white bristles.
Etymology: (Ancient Greek name for a kind of thistle)
eFlora Treatment Author: David J. Keil & G. Ledyard Stebbins
Reference: Hyatt 2006 FNANM 19:273--276
Unabridged Reference: Boulos 1972--74 Bot Not 125:287--319, 126:155--196; 127:7--37, 402--451
Sonchus asper (L.) Hill subsp. asper
NATURALIZED
Habit: Annual 1--12 dm. Stem: mostly unbranched proximal to inflorescence. Leaf: basal tapered to generally sessile bases; cauline 6--30 cm, distal often widest near base, proximal clasping lobes rounded, strongly curved to coiled; blades dentate, sometimes +- lobed, teeth and lobes soft-spine-tipped. Inflorescence: peduncle 0.5--5 cm, generally +- bristly-glandular; involucre 10--13 mm. Flower: ligule +- 1/3 < tube. Fruit: 2--3 mm, flat, 3-ribbed per face, otherwise smooth, straw-colored to red-brown; pappus bristles +- 3 × fruit. Chromosomes: 2n=18.
Ecology: Common. Slightly moist disturbed sites, along streams; Elevation: < 1900 m. Bioregional Distribution: CA; Distribution Outside California: North America; native to Europe. Flowering Time: All year Note: Much like Sonchus oleraceus.
Jepson eFlora Author: David J. Keil & G. Ledyard Stebbins
Reference: Hyatt 2006 FNANM 19:273--276
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

Previous taxon: Sonchus arvensis subsp. uliginosus
Next taxon: Sonchus oleraceus

Botanical illustration including Sonchus asper subsp. asperbotanical illustration including Sonchus asper subsp. asper


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Citation for this treatment: David J. Keil & G. Ledyard Stebbins 2012, Sonchus asper subsp. asper, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=6219, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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©2010 Barry Breckling
Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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©2005 Steve Matson
Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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©2005 Steve Matson
Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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©2005 Steve Matson
Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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©2008 Keir Morse

More photos of Sonchus asper subsp. asper
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Geographic subdivisions for Sonchus asper subsp. asper:
CA
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map of distribution 1

(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).






 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.

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Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
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CCH collections by month Flowering-Fruiting Monthly Counts

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).