and are somewhat confident that it is not a native of North America. We
have no conception what plant (if any) Pursh had in view, under this name
which is said to grow in shady low grounds, near springs, from Pennsylvania
to Carolina.” J
M.alpinum, Less., should be excluded from the North American Flora- the real
Sonchus alpinus, in fact, having never been found in Canada, nor the S. alpinus,
Smith, ic.pl.t. 21, in Lapland or any part of Europe. The history of the confusion
respecting S. alpinus and S. Canadensis produced by Linnaeus, is evidently as
follows. The specimens of the European S. alpinus and of a Canadian plant
received from Kalm were transposed in the Linnsean herbarium; where the former
(which was well described in the Lachesis Lapponica and the Hortus Cliftortianus
long before the latter was known to botanists) is ticketed “ S. Canadensis (K),” and
the latte^ (which is S. leucophseus, WiUd.) “ S. alpinus.” Not perceiving this
mistake Linnseus, in the Species Plantarum, constructed the specific phrase of S.
alpinus from the Canadian plant so ticketed in his herbarium (while all the synonymy
and the habitat relate to the alpine European species) ; and at the same time gave an
excellent descnption of the species he had himself collected in Lapland, under the
name of S. Canadensis. Smith, on obtaining possession of the Linnsean herbarium,
not duly considering Linnaeus’s description in the Hortus Cliffortianus, nor his
detailed account of the Lapland plant in the then manuscript Lachesis Lapponica,
incautiously figured the American specimen as the original Sonchus alpinus ; and
took the European species (which he afterwards named S. cceruleus) to be also a
native of Canada. Hence, although the synonymy has long since been rectified,
so far as relates to the European S. alpinus, that species also has ever since been
erroneously viewed as an American plant.
199. SONCHUS. Linn. (excl. spec.); Cass.; DC. prodr. 7. p. 384.
Heads many-flowered, becoming tumid at the base. Involucre more or
less imbricated. Receptacle naked. Aehenia compressed, longitudinally
ribbed or striate, not rostrate or attenuated at the apex. Pappus of copious
very white exceedingly soft and fine capillary bristles, in several series.—
Chiefly caulescent weed-like herbs (scarcely any of which are natives of
this country); with undivided or pinnatifid leaves, and often corymbose or
umbellate heads. Flowers yellow.
* Annual kerbs.
1 . S. tenerrimus (Linn.): stem erect, terete, glabrous, or with glandular
hairs near the summit; leaves auriculate-clasping, variously 1- 2-pinnately
parted ; the base of the involucre tomentose when young or at length naked ;
aehenia narrow, nervulate, transversely tuberculate-rugose. DC.—Linn,
spec. 2. p. 794 ; Sibth. jl. Greec. t. 790 ; Boiss. ! my. hot. p. 390. S. tenerrimus
& S. pectinatus, DC. prodr. 7. p. 186, fide Boiss. S. tenuifolius,
Nutt. ! in brans. Amer. phil. soc. 1. c. p. 438.
St. Diego, California, Nuttall!—The plant of Mr. Nuttall is said to grow
in shady ravines among rocks, around St. Diego : but as the specimens wholly
accord with slender states of S. tenerrimus (with the segments of the leaves
chiefly linear; the involucre at length glabrous, or with a few glanduliferous
hairs), we suppose it was introduced from Spain, among other weeds. 2
2. S. oleraceus (Linn.): glabrous, or the branches glandular hairy near
the summit; cauline leaves runcinate-pinnatifid or rarely undivided, sub-
spinulose-toothed, cordate-clasping, the auricles acute or acuminate ; involucre
and umbellate-corymbose peduncles (woolly when young) at length nearly
glabrous; aehenia striate, transversely rugose!—Linn. spec. 2. p. 794,
var. laevis {a. &fP.); Ft. Dan. t. 682; Engl. hot. t. 843 ; {Ell. sic. 2. p . 254 ?
Bigel. jl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 292 ? ); Hook. ! jl. Bor.-Am. 1 . p. 292 (partly);
Koch, jl. Germ. 4' Hein. p. 433. S. ciliatus, Lam. jl. Fr. 2. p. 87 ; DC.
prodr. 7. p. 185. S. asper, Garin, fr . 2. 1.158; not of Vill. S. laevis,
Fill. Delph. 3. p. 158.
"Waste places, around gardens &c., introduced from Europe, and more or
less naturalized in the United States ! extending north to the Saskatchawan 1
and Newfoundland. Aug.-Sept.—Leaves more commonly divided, and the
teeth less spinulose than in the following species. Flowers pale yellow.
Aehenia roughish or somewhat muricately rugose.—The distinguishing characters
of this species not having been noticed by American writers, we are
uncertain what synonyms are to be here adduced.—Sow-Thistle.
3. S. asper (Vill.): glabrous, or rather glandular-hairy at the summit;
cauline leaves undivided, undulate, or slightly runcinate, conspicuously spin-
ulose-toothed, cordate-clasping, with the auricles rounded ; the upper lanceolate
or oblong; the lower oval or spatulate, with a slender tapering base or
winged petiole; involucre and umbellate-corymbose peduncles glabrous or
slightly hairy; aehenia margined, 3-nerved on each side, margined, smooth 1
(or the margins minutely serrulate-scabrous.)—Vill. Delph. 1. c. ; Fuchs,
hist.; FI. Dan. t. 893 ; Reichenb. jl. excur. 1 . p. 274 ; Koch, l. c. S. oleraceus,
var. asper, (y. Sf S.) Linn. 1. c. ; DC. jl. F r .; Borrer, in Engl. bot.
suppl. t. 2765 8f 2766. S. oleraceus, var. spinulosus, Oakes! cat. Vermont
pi., in Thompson’s gazetteer. S. spinosus, Lam. Jl. Fr., not of DC.
S. fallax, Wallroth, sched. crit. p. 432 ; DC. prodr. 7. p. 185. S. Caroli-
nianus, Walt. Car. p. 192; E ll.! sk. 2. p. 255; D C .! l.c. S. spinulosus,
Bigel.! Jl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 292; Darlingt.! jl. Cest. p. 445 ; DC. l.c.
(}. aehenia more distinctly margined.—S. oleraceus, Hook. Sf Am . bot.
Beechey, p . 145 ; Hook. ! jl. Bor.-Am. 1. c., as to Oregon plant. S. fallax?
/3. Californicus, Nutt, in trans. Amer. phil. soc. 1. c. p. 438.
Fields and waste places, in rich damp soil throughout the United States!
Probably indigenous to this country, at least in the south: now found in almost
every part of the world. jS. Oregon, Dr. Scouler! California, Nuttall,
8fc. Aug.-Sept., or in the Southern States, March-May.—Usually a
smaller and more rigid plant than S. oleraceus. Flowers pale vellow.__
Sow- Thistle.
* * Perennial kerbs.
4. S. arvensis (Linn.): root creeping; stem erect, glabrous; leaves runcinate
pinnatifid, spinellose-toothed, cordate-clasping at the base, the auricles
short and obtuse ; panicle umbellate-corymbose; the pedicels and involucre
hispid; aehenia somewhat tetragonal, the'ribs transversely rugulose. DC. 1. c.
—FI. Dan. t. 606 ; Engl. bot. t. 674 ; Pursh, jl. 2. p. 501; Beck, bot. p.
171; Hook. jl. Bor.-Am. l .p . 292. S. palustris, Muhl. cat. p. 73 ?
Newfoundland, Hooker. Essex County, Massachusetts, Mr. Oakes!
Shores of Staten Island, New York, and the adjacent part of New Jersey,
where it is perfectly naturalized ! Pennsylvania, Pursh; in cultivated
grounds and among rubbish; introduced from Europe. Aug.-Sept.—Heads
large : flowers bright yellow.
S', pallidus(Willd. spec.) is a nominal species, wholly founded on the characters
of Lactuca Canadensis of Linnaeus and Toumefort, which afford no reason for deeming
the plant either a Sonchus or a Mulgedium. Willdenow does not pretend to
know the species, and it is mere pretence on the part of Pursh to speak of it as a
common plant in Canada and New England.