ClCHO*lC*aO 



SYXGENESIA 445 



366. SONCHUS. L. Mitt. Gen. 630, 

 [An ancient Greek name, of obscure meaning.] 



Heads ventricose, or dilated at base. Involucre many-leaved, closely 

 imbricated, connivent at summit. Jikenes not beaked, truncate at apex, 

 ancipital-compressed, about 5-ribbcd on each side, transversely rugu- 

 lose. Pappus of several series. Receptacle naked. 



* Flowers yellow. 



1. S. oikhaceus, i. Leaves lyrate-runcinate, and sinuate-pinnatifid, 

 acutely dentate, sagittate-amplexicaul ; peduncles subcymosc, flocculent- 

 tomentose; involucres smooth. Beck, Hot. p. 171. 



Pot-herb Sonchus. Vulgo — Common Sow-thistle. 



Gallice—Le Laiteron. Germ. — Die Saudistel. Ilisp — Ccrrdja. 



Root annual, fusiform. Stem 2 to 3 feet high, branched, fistular, tender, gland- 

 ular-pilose above. Leaves 3 to 6 or 8 inches long, smooth, sessile and amplexicaul, 

 oblong-lanceolate, undulate, runcinate, and variously pinnatifid, and sinuate-den- 

 late, the teeth and segments cuspidate. Heads in terminal and axillary cymose 

 naniclcs; peduncles thickish, 1 third of an inch to an inch and half long, clothed 

 when young with a loose floccuient white tomentum. Involucre dilated or tumid 

 at base, orbicular, abruptly contracted above, or acuminate. Florets pale yellow. 

 Pappus very while, and silky-pilose, the rays faaciculately connate at base. 

 Hob. Gardens, and cultivated Lots: frequent. Fl. August— Sept. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. An introduced weed,— completely naturalized in our cultivated grounds. 



2. S. spixulosus, Bigel. Leaves amplexicaul, lance-oblong, undu- 

 late and spinulose-dentate on the margin ; peduncles subumbellate. 

 Beck.Bot.p. 171. 



PaiCKLT SoNCHUS. 



Root annual. Stem about 2 feet high, branched, smoothish, or slightly glandular- 

 pilose above. Leaves 2 to 6 or 8 inches long, and 1 to 2 inches wide, lance^oblongi 

 wavy and sinuate, with numerous prickly teeth on the margin, sometimes pinnat- 

 ifid, smooth. Heads in terminal subumbellate panicles; outer leaflets of the in- 

 volucre acuminate, appressed. Florets yellow. Pappus very white, silky-pilose. 

 Hob. Along Schuylkill, at Black Rock: rare. Fl. August. /^September. 



Obs. Collected by D. Townsbnd Esq. in 1832. I have some doubts whether this 

 be really more than a variety of the preceding. 



* * 



Flowers blue. 



3. 8. FLonrnAxus, L. Leaves lyrate-runcinate, denticulate ; heads 

 of flowers paniculate ; peduncles squamosc-bracteate. Willd. Sb 3 

 p. 1520. ^ ' 



Agathyrsus floridanus. Beck, Bot. p. 170. 

 Flowering Sokchus. 



Root biennial. Stem 3 to 6 feet high, smooth, or a little hairy near the insertion 

 of the leaves, often purplish, paniculate at summit. Leaves 3 to 8 or 12 inches 

 ion?, and 2 to 4 or 5 inches wide, lance-oblong, lyrate-runcinate, or deeply pin 

 aatifid, the segments sinuate- or repand-denticulate, smoothish above, often pilose 

 •n the nerves Uneath,-the radical ones on long petioles, cauline ones sessile or 



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