SONCHUS OLERACEUS. CoMMON SoWTHISTLE. 



SONCHUS Linnai Gen. PL SYngenesiA Polygamia ;equalis. 



Recept. nudum. Cat imbricatus ventricofus. Pappus pilofus. 

 Rali Syn. Gen. 6. Herbje flore composito, natura pleno lactescentes. 

 SONCHUS okraceus pedunculis tomentofis calycibus glabris. Linnai Syji. Vegetab. p. 594. Flor. Suecic* 



p. 269. Sp. Plant, p. 1 1 16. 

 SONCHUS Foliis amplexicaulibus, dentatis, integns pit femipinnatis, calycibus lasvibus* Haller. hjft, 



p. 10. n. 21* 

 HIERAC1UM oleraceum. Scopotl PL Cdrniol p. \io, 

 SONCHUS laevis laciniatus latifolius* Bauhin. Pin. 124* 

 SONCHUS laevis. Ger. emac. 292. 

 SONCHUS vulgaris. Parkinfon. 805. 



Ran Syn. 162. Hudfon* PL Angl. p* 294* ed. 2. p. 336. 

 Lightfoot PL Scot. p. 428. 



RADIX annua, fimplex, fibrofa, albida, ladefcens* 



CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, laevis, purpurafcens, 

 tener, nftulofus, ad bafin teres fuperne fub- 

 aiigulofus, ramolus* 



FOLIA amplexicaulia, laevia, glauca, nervo medio 

 purpurafcente, inferiora pinnatifida, pinnarum 

 paria duo aut tria, pinnis dentatis fpinulo ter- 

 minatis, lateralibus ovatis, terminali magno 

 triangulari, Juperiora integra, ovato-acuta, 

 bali lato. 



PEDtJNCULI tomentofi, per aetatem nudL 



CALYX communis ante florefcentiam cylindraCeus, 

 et quali truncatus, poftea ventricofo-conicus, 

 fquamis plurimis, insequafibus, hevibus, a~ 

 cuminatis, jig. 1, z* 



COROLLA compofita, imbricata, uniformis : Flos- 

 culis monopetalis, ligulatis, quinquedenta- 



STAMINA, in cylindrum coalita : Antherje flavae, 

 apicibus nigricantibus. 



PISTILLUM: Germen fubovatum : Stylus filifor- 

 mis, ftaminibus longior : Stigmata duo^ 

 tenuia, patentia. 



SEMEN obiongum, comprefTum, fulcatum, fcabriuf- 

 culum : Pappus feffilis, fimplex, tenuifiimus, 



RECEPTACULUM nudum, punftis prominulis fca- 

 brum, lucidum, fig. 6. 



ROOT annual, fimple, fibrous, whitifh, and milky. 



STALK from one to three feet high, fmooth, purplifh, 

 tender, hollow, at bottom round, towards 

 the top fomewhat angular, and branched. 



LEAVES embracing the ffalk, fmooth, glaucous ; 

 the midrib purplifh ; the lower ones pinnatifid, 

 confifting of two or three pair of pinnae, 

 which are indented, and each terminated by 

 a little fpine ; the fide ones oval, the end one 

 large and triangular ; the upper leaves intire, 

 oval, pointed with a broad bale. 



FLOWER-STALKS downy, but becoming fmooth 

 by age. 



CALYX : the common Calyx before the flowering, 

 cylindrical, and as it were cut off at top, af- 

 terwards bellying out, and forming a cone, 

 covered with numerous fmooth, unequal, 

 pointed fcales, fig. 1, 2. 



COROLLA compound, imbricated and uniform ; the 

 Floscules monopetalous, the upper part flat, 

 with five teeth, fig. 3. 



STAMINA uniting into a cylinder i Anthers yel- 

 low, the tip blackifh. 



PISTILLUM : Germen nearly oval : Style filiform, 

 longer than the Stamina: Stigmata two, 

 {lender and fpreading. 



SEED oblong, flattened, grooved, roughifh : Down 

 feffile, fimple, very fine, fig. 4, 5. 



RECEPTACLE naked, rough with little prominent 

 points, and mining, fig, 6. 



THE Sowthtftle is fubjedT: to many varieties, fome of which have differed fo much from the common appearance 

 of this plant, as to have occafioned them to be confidered as diftin£l fpecies. Thus Haller makes the Sonchus afper, 

 on prickly Soizthi/ile, a diftincT: fpecies : and the old Botanifts formed feveral other fpecies of it from different cir- 

 cumffances; as fize, breadth, divifions of its leaves, &C. But the generality of Botanifts feem now difpofed to 

 coniider them all as the fame, varying from foil, fituation, &c. The prickly variety feems to be the only one that 

 has any pretentions to be confidered as diitinct : but if any perfon will be at the pains to examine a garden overun 

 with thefe plants, he will readily trace it into the fmooth. 



This plant appears to have been little regarded as a medicine ; but as a favourite food of Hares and Rabbits, it is 

 collected with great avidity. 



It abounds moil: in gardens and cultivated ground ; yet is fometimes met with on walls. 



Being a large plant, and of quick growth^ it is one of thofe which ufually appear in neglected gardens, 

 overuuning mojft others, and proving more injurious to the flovenly gardener than the farmer. 



It flowers chiefly in July, Auguft, and September. 



According, to the experiments made by fome of Linn jfius's pupils, and publiflied originally in the Amanitates 

 * Academics, it appears that it is eaten by -Goats, Sheep, and Swine, but not relifhed by Horfes. 



The young tender leaves are in fome countries, boiled and eaten as greens ; Lightfoot Fl. Scot. 



*-In the 2d, vol. of Effays relating to Agriculture and rural affairs, by Mr. Andee.son, there is a tranflation of thefe experiments. 



