Sonchus palustris. Marsh or Tree Sow-thistles 
SONCHUS Lilt. Gen. PI. SyngIznesia Polygamia azqualzs. 
Recept. nudum. Calyx imbricatus, ventricofus. Pappus pllimofus. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 27. Herbal elore composito, natura pleno lactescentes. 
SONCHUS palujlris pedunculis calycibufque hifpidis fubumbellatis, foliis runcinatis baft ariftatlsV Lite. 
Syjl. Vegetab. p. 594. bafi fagittatis. Sp. Pl. p. i 1 16. 
SONCHUS afper arborefcens. Bauhin. Pin. p. 124. ed. 2. 
HIERACIUM arborefcens paluftre. Ejufd. ed. 1. 
SONCHUS tricubitalis, 'folio cufpidato. Merr. Piri. 
SONCHUS arborefcens alter. Ger. Em. p. 294. 
SONCHUS lasvis altiffimus vel Sonchus laevior auftriacus 5. altiffimus. Cluf. Hiji. CXLVII. 
SONCHUS arborefcens: Parians. p. 808. Sai $m. p. 163:. The gflatbft Marflt Tree Sow-tluMei! 
Hudfon. FI. Anglic, p. 337. 
RADIX perennis, plurimis fibris majufculis capillata, J ROOT perennial, furmflied with numerous large fibres, 
minime verb repens ficut in arvenfi. f but not creeping, as in the corn Sow-thiftle. 
CAULIS: ex eadem radice, exfurgunt caules pl u res, J STALK : from the lame root anfe Ifeveral ftalks, up- 
erefti, orgyales, et ultra, craffi de pollicis, an - 1 right, fix feet or more high, the th.cknefs of 
gulati, keves, purpurafcentes, fifiulofi, lade- 4 one’s thumb, angular, fmooth, purplilh, hol- 
fcentes, foliofi, apice ramofi. | low, milky, and branched at top. 
FOLIA caulina fparfa, inferiora bafi fagittata, runci- 4 LEAVES of the ftalk placed without any regular order, 
natas laciniis duabus, vel tribus utrinque inae- | the lower ones arrow-fhapcd at the bafe, and 
qualibtiS, acuminatis* terminali longiflima, fu- $ runcinate, with two or three unequal pointed 
prema Integra, enfiformia, bafi ariflata, 'omni - 1 fegments on each fide, the terminal one very 
bus minutim denticulatisi $ long, the upper leaves entire, fword-'fhaped, 
4 bearded at the bafe, all of them very finely 
I toothed. 
FLORES fubumbdktii lutei, floribus arvenfis duplo $ FLOWERS of a yellow colour, about h-Jf ’the 15 ze of 
minores* I thofe of the corn Sow-thiftle, forming a large 
| kiiid of umbel. 
PEDUNCULI hifpidi feu potius vifcidi cuih omnes pili | FLOWER-STALKS hifpid or rather vifcid, as each 
globulo terminantur. 4 hair is terminated by a globule. 
CALYX comrhunis primo cylirid'raceus, apice truncatus* | CALYX: the common calyx ^ at firfl cylindrical, trun- 
vifcidus, peradta flotefcentia ventricofo-conicus, ^ cated at top, and vifcid, the flowering being 
fquamis plurimis, linearibus, inaequalibus. 4 over, bellying out at bottom and conical, the 
| fcales numerous, linear and unequal. 
COROLLA compofita, imbricata, finiformis. Coro/- 4 COROLLA compound, imbricated and uniform. Florets 
lulce hermaphroditae, numerofae, aequales. Fu- 1 hermaphrodite, numerous, and equal. Tube 
bus longitudine limbi, albus, pilofus; Limbus f the length of the limb, white and hairy, 
linearis, apice quinquedentatus* Jig. i* 2. | . Limb linear, terminated by five teeth, Jig. 1,2: 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, tapillaria, brevif- 1 STAMINA : five, capillary, very fhort Filaments. 
fimai. Anthers flavae* in tubum cylindra -4 Anther m yellow, forming a cylindrical tube, 
ceum coalitae, Jig. 3; | fig- 3 - 
PISTILLUM: Germen oblongo-ovatum, album. 4 PISTILLUM 1 : Germen oblong-ovate, white. Style 
Stylus filiformis, longitudine flaminum. | filiform, the length of the flamiiia. Stig- 
Stigmata duo, revoluta, Jig. 4* 5* 4 mat a two, rolled back. Jig. 4, 5. 
SEMEN pallide fufcum, Oblofigtlm, utrinque fukatum, | SEED pale brown, oblong, with a groove on each fide, 
unde fubtetragohum apparet. Jig. 6. 4 whence it appears fomewhat four cornered,' 
t fig- & 
PAPPUS femine longior; feflilis, fimpleX. | DOWN longer than the feed, feffile, unbranched. 
RECEPTACULUM nudtim, pun&is prominulis fca- 4 RECEPTACLE naked, rough with fmall prominent 
brum. * points. 
Parkinson gives a tolerable figure, and a pretty accurate defcriptioii of this plant ; and fucceeding Botan ills, 
particularly Ray, have fufficieiitly afcertained its fpecific charaders : neverthelefs Haller confiders it as a variety 
of the arvenjis : his words are, “ nec mihi omnia confidefanti differre videtur.” Had the Barofi feen the plant 
growing, he certainly would not havebeeii thus lingular in his opinion. 
It agrees with the arvenjis in having a perennial root, which however does not creep. When placed in a garden, by 
the fide of the arvenjis, it exceeds it one half; and when planted by the water fide, out-tops it by two-thirds. Indeed,- 
in fuch fituations we have feeri it ten feet high, and we believe it rilay juftly be confidered as the talleft Englifh 
plant ; but though it is fo much taller than the arvenjis , its blofloms are not fo large: In its place of growth it 
differs alfo from the arvenjis ; while. the ofie is chiefly obferved in cdrn-fields, the other is a conflant inhabitant of 
mar'fhes. There is a difference alfo in the periods of their flowering, the paltiftris being later by about three weeks ; 
but the bafe of the leaf in thefe two plants affords, perhaps, the bell charader, and of which LiNN.ffiUS, with his 
ufual acumen, has availed himfelf. 
The Sonchus palujlris occurs fparingly in the inarfhes about Blackwall and Poplar, and flowers the latter end of 
July. 
The Comioon SoW-thiftle is well known to be a favourite food of rabbits ; but We believe it has fcarcely been 
fufpeded, that it might be ranked with our efculent herbs ; yet a gentleman, whofe delicate flate of health has led 
him to make experiments on fuch kind of plants, and in whofe veracity we place the mart implicit confidence, 
affures us, that he has found the tender fhoots afid buds of the common Sow-thiftle (the fmooth fort) boiled in the 
manner of Spinach, to afford excellent greens, fuperior to any others which he has tried* not in common ufe. 
