Sonchus asper
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Photo Courtesy Renee Brecht |
Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Sonchus asper |
| Common name: | spiny sowthistle |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | annual |
| Origin: | introduced |
| Plant height: | to 6' |
| Foliage: | bluish-green alternate leaves, with milky sap, simple, wavy or lobed margins, covered with spines |
| Flower: | yellow ray flowers only, resembling that of a dandelion |
| Flowering time: | May - October |
| Habitat: | weed of open, disturbed ground, fields, roadside |
| Range in New Jersey: | statewide |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc.: | This plant is considered to be a weed by many authorities. It is wind-dispersed. |