The B P. I T I S H H E R B A L. 437 
GENUS II. 
SOW-THISTLE. 
S O N C H U S. 
THE flower is compofed of numerous, flat flofciiles, ranged together in a large comraon cup. 
Tliis is rounded, and formed of very numerous and very flender fcales: Each of tlie flof- 
cules is narrow, and indented in four parts at the top. The feeds are oblong, and the ftalks thick, 
but flifht and hollow. Linnaeus places this among the /yiipncjia. 
a 
DIVISION I. 
BRITISH SPECIES. 
Common fmoodi Sow-Thifl!e. 
Smchus Uvis vulgaris. 
The root is compofed of numerous, whitifli 
fibres. 
The ftallc is thick, upright, round, hollow, 
and of a dead green. 
The leaves are very large, oblong, deeply fi- 
nuated at the edges, and terminated by a large, 
broad point. 
The flowers (land in great numbers on the tops 
of the branches ; and are large, and of a fine 
pale yellow. 
It is common every where in ground that has 
been dug, and flov;ers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sonchus Uvis laciniatus lati- 
foUus. Othei-s only, Sonchus Uvls. 
2. Broad -leaved fmooth Sow-Thiflle. 
Sonchus iavis fcUo latiore. 
The root is fibrous and white. 
The ftalk is round, upright:, of a deep green, 
and a yard high. 
The leaves are broad and fhort and are divi- 
ded at the edges by a few flight fcgments. 
The flowers are large, and of a pale yellow. 
It is common in corn-flelds, and flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sonchus Uvis mhior pauclori- 
htis laciniis. 
3, Common prickly Sow-Thidle. 
Sonchus foii/s fp'nwjts vulgaris. 
The root is long and flender, and has many 
fibres. 
The ftalk is very thick, and of a fine deep 
o-reen, round, a yard high, and branched. 
The leaves are long, and confiderably broad, 
ferrated, and prickly at the edges, and of a fins 
deep green. 
The flowers are large, and of a gold yellow. 
It is common on ditch-banks, and flowers in 
Augufl;. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sonchus tifper non Ir.ciniatns. 
Others, Sonchus afper 'vulgaris. 
4. Jagged prickly Sow-Thiftle. 
Sonchus afper foUis laciniatis. 
The root is long, and hung with many fibres. 
The ftalk is round, thick, branched, and four 
feet high. 
The leaves are very large, and of a faint green, 
, deeply divided at the edges, and very prickiy. 
N%3- 
The flowers are fmaller than in the lafl, and 
of a faint yellow. 
It is common on wafl:e ground, and flowers in 
July- 
C. Bauhine calls it* Sonchus a/per ladniaius ; a 
name moft of the fucceeding writers have co- 
pied. 
5. Oval-leaved Sow-Thlft:le. 
Sonchus foliis ovatis. 
The root is a tuft of white fibres. 
The fl:alk is flender, upright, fcarce at all 
branched, and a foot and half high. 
The leaves are of a very elegant form and co- 
lour ; they are of a glofl*y green, fmail at the bafe, 
where they furround the llalk, and oval toward 
the end and they are lightly fet at the edges with 
tender thorns. 
The flowers are few, large, and of a fine gold 
yellow. 
It is found on fandy banks, flowering in June- 
Petiver calls it Sonchus rgtundo folio. Plukenet, 
Sonchus fubrotundo folio nofiras. 
6. Nakcd-ftalked Sow-Thifl:!e. 
Sor-chus caiilc nudo. 
, fl( 
ender, and hung with many 
The root is long 
fibres. 
The leaves that rife from it are very numerous, 
long, narrow, fliarp-pjintcd, and befct wiUi ten- 
der thorns at the edge. 
The ftalk is a fooc and a half high ; and often 
it has no leaves on it, rarely more than one or 
two : thefe are of the fame form with thofe from 
the root. 
The flowers are large, and of a deep yellow. 
It is found among corn, and flov/ers in July^ 
7. Tree Sow-Thiflle. 
Sojichus arborcfcens. 
The root is long and thick. 
The ftalk is upright, round, of a yellowifh 
green, not much branched, and befcc with coarfe 
yellow hairs. 
The leaves are long, of a deep green, and di- 
vided irregularly at the edges. 
The flowers ftand at the cops of the branches ; 
and are very large, and of a deep orange yellow ; 
tliey ftand in dark green cups, covered vvith coarfe 
yellow hairs. 
It is common in corn-fields and dry paftures, 
flowering in Auguft. 
C. Bauhine caiis it Hicrachlum majus folio fon- 
chi. Others, Sonchus arborefcem vulgaris. 
5 T 8. Great 
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