prickly sowthistle

Sonchus asper

Member of sow thistles (genus Sonchus)
yellow dandelion-like flowers
lettuce, chicory, dandelion, and salsify tribe (tribe Cichorieae)
thistles
sunflower family (family Asteraceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
yellow in flowering plants

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• annual
• stem may be distally branched, but usually not close to the inflorescence[?]
• stem stout
• proximal clasping lobes of cauline leaves rounded, strongly curved to coiled
• leaf blades dentate, sometimes ± lobed, teeth and lobes soft-spine-tipped
• involucre 10–13 mm
• petal < corolla tube
• fruit flat, 3-ribbed per side, otherwise smooth

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Chris’s observations: 10 (4 are research grade)

Locations:

• Butano SP
• Calero CP
• Coyote Valley OSP
• DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz
• Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
• Fremont Older OSP
• Joseph D. Grant CP
• Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP
• Russian Ridge OSP
• Waterdog Lake & Open Space

Months:

• Mar.: 3
• Apr.: 2
• May: 3
• Jun.: 1
• Jul.: 0
• Aug.: 1

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – CalPhotos – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora