Sonchus Oleraceus. C ommon Sowteiistle.
gONCHUS Linncei Gen. PL S yn g e n e s ia P o l y g am ia æ q u a l is .
Recept. nudum. Cal. imbricatus ventricofus. Pappus pilofus.
V . Ran Syn. Gen. 6. H erbue f l o r e c o m po s it o , n a t u r a plen o l a c t e s c e n t e s .
SONCHUS oleraceus pedunculis tomentofis 'calycibus glabris. Linncei Syfi, Végétait. p. 594. Flor.
Suède, p. 26g. Sp. Plant, p. 1116.
SONCHUS foliis amplexicaulibus, dentatis, integris aut femipinnatis, calycibus Iævibus. Haller,
hiß. p. 10. n. 21.
HIERACIUM oleraceum. Scopoli Fl. Carniol. p. 110.
SONCHUS lævis laciniatus Iatifolius. Bauhin. Pin. 124.
SONCHUS lævis. Ger. emac. 292.
SONCHUS vulgaris. Parkinfon 805.
Raii Syn. 162. Huifon FL Angl. p. 294. ei. 2. p. 336.
Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 428.
MDIX annua, fimplex, fibrofa, albida, Iafitefcens. ❖ ROOT annual, fimple, fibrous, whitilh, and milky.
luLIS pedalis ad tripedalem, lasvis, purpurafeens, 4 STA LK from one to three feet high, fmooth, purplifh,
* tener, fiftulofus, ad bafin teres, fupeme fub- | tender, hollow, at bottom round, towards
angulofus, ramofus, | the top fomewhat angular, and branched;
p i l
|)LIA amplexicaulia, laevia, glauca, nervo medio | LEAVES embracing the ftalk, fmooth, glaucous;
purpurafeepte,. inferior a pinnatifida, pinna-| • the midrib purplifh; the lower ones pinnatifid*
rum paria duo aut tria, pinnis dentatis fpinulo f confiding of two or three pair o f pinnae,
termmatis, lateralibus ovatis, terminali magno j which are indented, and each terminated by
triangulari, fuperiora integra, ovato-acuta, | a little fpine ; the fide ones oval, the end one
bafi lato, £• large and triangular; the upper leaves entire,
% oval, pointed with a broad bafe.
jLDUNCULI tomentofi, per astatem nudi. $ FLOWER-STALKS downy, but becoming fmooth
% by age.
IALYX; communis ante florefeentiam cylindraceus, f CA L YX I the common Calyx before the flowering,
et quafi truncatus, poftea ventricofo-conicus, | cylindrical, and as it were cut off at top, affquamis
plurimis, inasqualibus, laevifcms, a - 0 terwards bellying out, and forming a cone,
cuminatis, fig. 1, 2* covered with numerous fmooth, unequal,
% pointed feales, fig. 1, 2.
■ ROLLA compofita, imbricata, uniformis; Flos- $ COROLLA compound, imbricated, and uniform ;
culis monopetalis, ligulatis, quinquedenta-I the Floscules monopetalous, the upper
tis, fig. 3. - y • - part flat, with five teeth, fig. 3.
JAMINA in cylindrum coalita : A n th er s flavas, $ STAMINA uniting into a cylinder ; A n th er s yel-
apicibus nigricantibus. 9 low, the tip blackifti.
JTILLUM: G ermen fubovatum: Stylus f ili- | PISTILLUM: Ger men nearly oval; Sty le filiform,
H formis, ftaminibus Iongior: Stigmata duo f longer than the Stamina ; Stigmata two,
tenuia, patentia. | (lender, and fpreading.
JMEN oblongum, compreflum, fulcatum, fcabriuf- V SEED oblong, flattened, grooved, roughifh; D own
m culum: Pappus feflilis, fimplex, tenuiflimus, | feflile, fimple, very fine, fig. 4, 5.
/ * -4i 5- . , |
■ CEPTACULUM nudum, punflis prominulis fca- | RECEPTACLE naked, rough with little prominent
brum, lucidum, fig, 0. $ points, and fhining, fig. 6,
Swtkijlle is fubjeft to many varieties, fome of which have differed fo much from the common appearance
Is plant, as to have occafioned them to be confidered as diftinft fpecies. Thus Haller makes the
9r prickly Sowthifile, a diftin£l fpecies : and the old Botanifts formed feveral other fpecies of'it
different circumftances; as fize, breadth, divflions of its leaves, See. But the generality of Botanifts
! n°w difpofed to confider them all as the fame, varying from foil, fituation, See. The prickly variety
is to be the only one that has any pretenfions to be confidered as diftinft: but if any perfon will be at the
W* to examine a garden over-run with thefe plants, .he will readily trace it into the fmooth.
B L ,S,J>'*n't,aPPears to have been little regarded as a medicine ; but as a favourite food o f hares and rabbits
I t ab' with great avidity.
1 • 0Un(|s moft in gardens and cultivated ground; yet is fometimes met with on walls.
| | J I * aT;|e plant, and of quick growth, it is one of thofe which ufually appear in neglefted gardens,
k n„ nin8 m°u others, and proving more injurious to the flovenly gardener than the farmer.
' cord'^ 7n Juty? Auguft, and September.
nf ,ln8# t0 the experiments made by fome of L innaeus’s .pupils, and publifhed originally in the
e ®es Academicce, it appears that it is eaten by goats, fheep, and fwine, but not relifhed by horfes.
y°ung tender leaves are, in fome countries, boiled and eaten as greens; Lightfoot FI. Scot.
e M vol. of JJflays relating to Agriculture and Rural Affairs, by Mr. A nderson, there is a tranflation of thefe experim