Sonchus arvensis

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Sonchus arvensis
Sonchus arvensis.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Sonchus
Species:
S. arvensis
Binomial name
Sonchus arvensis
L. 1753
Synonyms [1]
Synonymy
  • Hieracium arvense(L.) Scop.
  • Sonchoseris arvensisFourr.
  • Sonchoseris decoraFourr.
  • Sonchus exaltatusWallr.
  • Sonchus glandulosusSchur
  • Sonchus hantoniensisSweet
  • Sonchus hispidusGilib.
  • Sonchus laevissimusSchur
  • Sonchus nitidusVill.
  • Sonchus pratensisSchur
  • Sonchus repensBubani
  • Sonchus vulgarisRouy
  • Sonchus humilisN.I.Orlova
  • Sonchus ketzkhoveliiSchchian
  • Sonchus uliginosusM.Bieb.

Sonchus arvensis, the field milk thistle, [2] field sowthistle, [3] perennial sow-thistle, [4] corn sow thistle, dindle, gutweed, swine thistle, or tree sow thistle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. S. arvensis often occurs in annual crop fields and may cause substantial yield losses. [5]

Contents

Description

The plant grows up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) in height, [6] : 744  with leaves 10–35 cm (4–13+3⁄4 in) long and 4–14 cm (1+1⁄2–5+1⁄2 in) wide. [7] It produces conspicuous yellow flowerheads about 3–5 cm (1+1⁄4–2 in) wide, [7] which are visited by various types of insects—especially hoverflies of the genus Eristalis . [8]

Distribution

Sonchus arvensis is native to Eurasia, where it is widespread across most of the continent. [9] It has also become naturalized in many other regions, and is considered an invasive noxious weed in some places, such as North America (including Prince Edward Island), [10] Russia, New Zealand, and Australia. [11] [12] [13]

It grows in areas such as pastures, roadsides, bushlands and the shorelines of lakes, rivers [14] and sea coast. [15]

A study conducted in 2003 has shown that with future global atmospheric carbon levels, S. arvensis shows increased growth with increased atmospheric carbon which could potentially expand its range and outcompete native species. [16]

Uses

The young leaves, when less than a few inches long and not bitter in taste, can be mixed with other greens to make salad. They can also be boiled in a small quantity of water, changed once. The plant can contain toxic nitrates. [7]

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List, Sonchus arvensis L.
  2. ↑ Sonchus arvensis at Plants For A Future
  3. ↑ NRCS. "Sonchus arvensis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  4. ↑ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Sonchus arvensis (perennial sowthistle)". Invasive Species Compendium . 19 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Stace, C. A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles (Fourth ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C & M Floristics. ISBN   978-1-5272-2630-2.
  7. 1 2 3 Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 103. ISBN   978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC   244766414.
  8. ↑ Van Der Kooi, C. J.; Pen, I.; Staal, M.; Stavenga, D. G.; Elzenga, J. T. M. (2015). "Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers". Plant Biology. 18 (1): 56–62. doi:10.1111/plb.12328. PMID   25754608.
  9. ↑ Altervista Flora Italiana, Sonchus arvensis L. includes photos, European distribution map
  10. ↑ Guardian, The. "'Giant dandelion' taking up space in P.E.I." The Guardian (Charlottetown) . Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "List of invasive species in the Great Lakes Great Lakes United / Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs". Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  12. ↑ Davidse, G., M. Sousa-Peña, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2015. Asteraceae. 5(2): ined. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
  13. ↑ Atlas of Living Australia
  14. ↑ Corn sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis) by NSW WeedWise
  15. ↑ "Sonchus arvensis". Online Atlas of the British Flora. Biological Records Centre and Botanical society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  16. ↑ Ziska, L. H. (2 January 2003). "Evaluation of the growth response of six invasive species to past, present and future atmospheric carbon dioxide". Journal of Experimental Botany. 54 (381): 395–404. doi:10.1093/jxb/erg027. ISSN   0022-0957.
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