Sonchus asper ssp. asper

"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Mediterranean Region"

This annual plant is about 1–5' tall, branching sparingly in the upper half. The stems are dull green or reddish green, round, and smooth. They have rather conspicuous longitudinal veins and are usually hairless, although occasionally the upper stems and flowering stalks have a few hairs. The alternate leaves are up to 10" long and 3½" across, but more commonly they are about half this size or less. On shorter plants, they are rather crowded together on the stems, even where the composite flowers occur. Depending on the local form of the plant, these leaves may be pinnatifid, or they may lack significant lobes along the margins, in which case they are broadly lanceolate or oblanceolate. The margins are conspicuously prickly, while the base of each leaf is auriculate with a pair of large rounded basal lobes that strongly clasp the stem.  The hairless leaves are glabrous, and they tend to be folded upward along the central vein. However, there are no prickles along the central vein on the underside of each leaf. Both the stems and the leaves contain a milky latex. The upper stems terminate in clusters of 1-5 composite flowers on rather short stalks. Each flower is about 2/3" across when fully open, and consists of numerous yellow ray florets. The base of each flower is covered with dull green bracts and is rather short – only about 1/3" in length. The blooming period can occur from late spring to early fall, and usually lasts about a month for a colony of plants. Each floret is replaced by an achene with a tuft of silky white hairs. The achenes are flat, spindle-shaped, hairless, and have several longitudinal ribs. They are distributed by the wind. The root system consists of a stout taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself. Cultivation

Robust, erect annual or perennial herb, 20-200 cm tall. Stems solitary, branching near the inflorescence, hollow, ribbed to angular, mostly hairless, sometimes glandular hairy above. Leaves with basal lobes conspicuously clasping the stem, more or less oblanceolate in outline, hairless, more or less glaucous; margins with irregular, sometimes lobe-like, spine-tipped teeth. Capitula stalked, forming corymbose clusters. Involucre often swollen at the base. Florets numerous, yellow, with rays up to 4 mm long.

asper: rough

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Prickly Sowthistle is occasional to locally common in Illinois. Apparently, it is uncommon or absent from many areas of NW, central, and southern Illinois, although official records probably underestimate its distribution (see Distribution Map). Habitats include irregularly mowed lawns, edges of yards and driveways, gardens, areas along roads and railroads, vacant lots, barnyards, and waste areas. This species prefers highly disturbed areas, and does not present an invasive threat to natural areas to any significant degree. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa. Faunal Associations

Nile Valley North of Nubia (Delta), Nile Valley North of Nubia (Fayium), Libyan Desert Oases, Nubian Desert Oases, Mareotic Sector, Mountainous Southern Sinai and Gebel Oweinat.

Sonchus carolinianus Walter:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Sonchus asper (L.) Vill.:
Bolivia (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Sonchus asper fo. asper :
Canada (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Sonchus asper subsp. asper :
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Sonchus asper (L.) Hill:
Afghanistan (Asia)
Argentina (South America)
Bolivia (South America)
Australia (Oceania)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Brazil (South America)
Bhutan (Asia)
Greenland (North America)
Kenya (Africa & Madagascar)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Japan (Asia)
Ecuador (South America)
Guyana (South America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Colombia (South America)
India (Asia)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)
Madagascar (Africa & Madagascar)
Panama (Mesoamerica)
Tanzania (Africa & Madagascar)
Uganda (Africa & Madagascar)
Russian Federation (Asia)
Peru (South America)
Nicaragua (Mesoamerica)
Uruguay (South America)
Paraguay (South America)
New Zealand (Oceania)
North Korea (Asia)
South Korea (Asia)
Nepal (Asia)
Pakistan (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Thailand (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
New Guinea (Asia)
Venezuela (South America)
China (Asia)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
Caribbean (Caribbean)
Vietnam (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Widespread in Africa, Eurasia and Madagascar

A cosmopolitan weed.

Annuals or biennials, 10–120(–200+) cm. Stem bases soft, herbaceous, hollow. Leaves: blades of mid cauline spatulate or oblong to obovate or lanceolate, 6–30 × 1–15 cm, bases auriculate, auricles often recurved or curled, rounded, margins often pinnately lobed, lobes ± deltate (not constricted at bases), terminals usually larger than laterals, usually prickly-dentate. Peduncles usually stipitate-glandular, sometimes glabrous. Involucres 9–13+ mm. Phyllaries usually stipitate-glandular. Corollas: ligules mostly shorter than tubes. Cypselae stramineous to reddish brown, mostly ellipsoid, strongly compressed, ± winged, 2–3 mm, ribs 3(–5) on each face, faces smooth across and between ribs; pappi 6–9 mm. 2n = 18.

Sonchus oleraceus Linnaeus var. asper Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 794. 1753

Prickly Sowthistle is occasional to locally common in Illinois. Apparently, it is uncommon or absent from many areas of NW, central, and southern Illinois, although official records probably underestimate its distribution (see Distribution Map). Habitats include irregularly mowed lawns, edges of yards and driveways, gardens, areas along roads and railroads, vacant lots, barnyards, and waste areas. This species prefers highly disturbed areas, and does not present an invasive threat to natural areas to any significant degree. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa. Faunal Associations

Annual or biennial.

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Alternaria dematiaceous anamorph of Alternaria sonchi causes spots on live leaf of Sonchus asper

Foodplant / spot causer
immersed, rather crowded, blackish pycnidium of Ascochyta coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta sonchi causes spots on live leaf of Sonchus asper
Remarks: season: 8

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Bremia lactucae parasitises live Sonchus asper
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Coleosporium tussilaginis parasitises live Sonchus asper

Foodplant / saprobe
pycnidium of Diplodina coelomycetous anamorph of Diplodina sonchi is saprobic on dead, dry stem of Sonchus asper

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Ensina sonchi feeds within capitulum of Sonchus asper

Foodplant / parasite
Golovinomyces cichoracearum parasitises live Sonchus asper

Foodplant / sap sucker
Hyperomyzus lactucae sucks sap of live Sonchus asper

Foodplant / parasite
uredinoid, amphigenous aecium of Miyagia pseudosphaeria parasitises live leaf (esp. basal) of Sonchus asper
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / spot causer
Spermosporina anamorph of Spermosporina sonchi-oleracei causes spots on live leaf of Sonchus asper

Foodplant / false gall
larva of Tephritis formosa causes swelling of capitulum of Sonchus asper

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Trupanea amoena feeds within capitulum of Sonchus asper

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 20
Specimens with Barcodes: 33
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: TNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked