Sonchus arvensis; Corn Sow-thistle. 
SONCHUS Lin. Gen * Ph SyngenEsia Polygamia iEoyAtis. 
Recept. nudum. Cal. imbricatus, ventricofus. Pappus pilpfus. 
RaiiSyn. Gen. 5. Herb,® elore composito natura pleno Lactescentes. 
SONCHUS arvenfis pedunculis calycibufque hifpidis fubumbellatis, follis runcinatis bafi cordatis. Liti. 
Syjt. Vegetab. p. 594. Spec. Pl. 1116. FI. Suec. n. 687. 
SONCHUS foliis amplexicaulibus femipinnatis ferratis, calycibus hifpidis. Haller i Hi/?, i^. 
HIERACIUM arvenfe. Scopoli FI. Carniol. n. 974. 
HIERACIUM majus folio fonclii. Bauhin. Pin. 126. 
SONCHUS repens multis Hieracium majus. Bauh ; FUJI. 2. 176. 
SONCHUS arborefcens. Ger. emac. 294. Rati Syn. p. 163. Tree Sow-thiftle. Hudfon FI. Angi. ed. 2. 
p. 337. Lightfoot FI. Scot. 427. 
RADIX perennis , laCtiflua, longe, lateque repens , difficulter 
eruta. 
CAULIS bi feu tripedalis et ultra, ereCtus, fiftulofus, ' 
laCtefcens, fubangulatus, laevis, inferne faepe i 
purpureus, fuperne ramofus. : 
FOLIA alterna, runcinata, baji cordata , amplexicaulia, ; 
lasvia, nitidula, fubtus pallidiora, fpinis molli- • 
cellis circa margines donata. 
FLORES fubumbellati, magni, lutei. 
PEDUNCULI longi, teretes, pilis longis luteis , globu- 
ligeris veftiti. ; 
CALYX communis priufquam flofculi expanduntur] 
cylindricus, apice truncatus, poftea ventricofo- < 
conicus, fquamis plurimis, ereCtis, inaequali- - 
bus, carinatis, fordide viridibus, hirfutijjimis, \ 
pilis ficut in pedunculis. s 
COROLLA compofita, imbricata, Corollulis hermaphro- 
ditis, numerofis, squalibus. 
Propria monopetala, tubus albus, tenuis, fuperne pilo- 
fus, limbus luteus, longitudine fere tubi mar- 
ginibus faepe fubinvolutis, quinquedentatus. 
fig- 1. 
ANTHER.E in tubum flavum, fubangulatum, coalita;. 
STIGMATA duo, filiformia, reflexa. 
SEMEN ovato-oblongum, badium, fulcatum, angulis ad ] 
lentem tranfverfim rugofis, pappofum, pappo, 
fimplici, feflili. fig. 2. : 
ROOT perennia/, milky, creeping far and wide , with 
difficulty eradicated. 
STALK from two to three feet high, or more, upright, 
hollow, milky, fomewhat angular, fmooth, 
often purple below, above branched. 
LEAVES alternate, like thofe of Dandelion, heart Jhaped 
at the bafe, embracing the ftalk, fmooth, 
fhining, paler on the under fide, the edges 
furnifhed with foftifh prickles. 
FLOWERS growing in a kind of umbel, large and 
yellow. 
FLOWER-STALKS long, round, covered with long, 
yellow, hairs, bearing globules at their extrj- 
mity. 
CALYX common to all the florets, before their expan - 
fion, cylindrical and cut off at the extre- 
mity, afterwards bellying at the bafe and coni- 
cal, the fcales numerous, upright, unequal, 
keeled, of a dirty green colour, and extremely 
hairy, the hairs fimilar to thofe on the foot- 
fialks. 
COROLLA compound and imbricated, the Florets her- 
maphrodite, numerous and equal. 
Each Floret monopetalous, the tube white, {lender, 
hairy above, the flat part yellow, almoft the 
length of the tube, the edges frequently rolled 
inward, furnifhed with five teeth, jig. 1 . 
ANTHERiE united into a yellow, and fomewhat angu- 
lar tube. 
STIGMATA two, thread-fhaped, reflexed. 
SEED of an oblong egg-fhape, bay colour, and grooved, 
the angles tranfverfely wrinkled when magni- 
fied, downy, the down fimple, and feflile. 
fig- 2- 
This fpecies of Sonchus is properly termed arvenfis, being commonly found in corn fields, in which its large 
yellow bloffoms, towering above the corn, render it a very confpicuous plant ; thefe alone are fufficient to diftinguifh 
it from the common Sow-thiftle, it has befides two other very diftindt characters ; the one a creeping root, whereby 
it becomes very noxious to the hufbandman ; the other, numerous yellow hairs, with little globules at their 
extremities, thick fpread over the calyces and flower-ftalks. 
It bloffoms in July and Auguf ; many of its feeds prove abortive. 
