(A) Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) (European). 
This species is not a real thistle at all and the name 
“ Sow ” is applied rather as a term of derision, signi¬ 
fying spurious or worthless. 
The stem is stout, smooth, grooved, hollow and suc¬ 
culent; it attains heights of 1 to 6 feet. The leaves are 
shaped more like those of the dandelion than a thistle, 
but are armed with soft spikes. The small, thistle-like 
flower heads are light yellow; they grow in loose clus¬ 
ters, terminating the branches. 
(B) Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) is one of 
the rankest-growing of our native plants. The milky- 
juiced, branching, smooth stem ranges in height from 
3 to 10 feet. The leaves are all very angular, cut, 
toothed and gouged in all manner of forms. Those near 
the base of the stem are very large, often attaining 
lengths of more than a foot. They become smaller and 
less deeply lobed as they mount the stem, the upper, 
small ones being almost entire-edged. The small, yel¬ 
low-rayed flowers are numerous but uninteresting. At 
maturity they are succeeded by silky beards of down, 
proceeding from the deep-vase-like involucres. 
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