Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Sonchus arvensis
Field sowthistle
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Sonchus arvensis ssp. arvensis, Sonchus arvensis ssp. uliginosus, Sonchus arvensis glabrescens, Sonchus arvensis var. glabrescens, Sonchus uliginosus

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Europe

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, perennial

Roots: primary, adventitious, rhizomes

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire, serrate, lobed (pinnately), parted (pinnately) leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; oblong, ovate, oblique leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

Flowers: perfect; 5 merous; complete, irregular; yellow; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Wastes, roadsides. Wastes, roads, and roadsides. This is the common yellow-flowered weed seen by motorists along the edges of highways.

ILPIN Notes: Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of Central United States. Weediness-noxious-CO, WY, MT, ND. Used cooked as potherb. Naturalized in North America. Involucres and peduncles with coarse gland-tipped hairs. Can be very weedy and aggressive. Native of southeastern Europe. May be the same as Sonchus arvensis var. uliginosus (M. Bieb.) Nyman. The type is included in S. arvensis var. uliginosus and so S. arvensis var. glabrescens cannot be accepted. Very common in northeastern Illinois. Similar to Sonchus arvensis var. arvensis, but lacking spreading gland-tipped hairs; leaves less lobed. Severe pest of cultivated ground. When young and tender, leafy shoots may be gathered and cooked as greens.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators: insect
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae: endomycorrhizal
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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