Perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)

Perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) is a species of plant in the Asteraceae, herbaceous, upright with a height of 65-150 cm, stems are green, cylindrical, soft, hollow, green gummy and hairy,

S. arvensis has a single elongated oval-shaped leaf, pointed tip, purplish green, smooth surface, wavy edges and irregular teeth, 6-48 cm long and 3-12 cm wide. The leaves are near the base of the stem and are toothed and form a rosette. The leaves located at the top sit alternately hugging the stem.



Compound flowers, bell-like petals and a crown shaped like a collection of white or yellow needles. The fruit is box-shaped, has 5 ribs and has black hairs which then turn into small and light seeds.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Hyoseridinae
Genus: Sonchus L. in Sp. Pl.: 793 (1753)
Species: Sonchus arvensis L. in Sp. Pl.: 793 (1753)
Subspecies: Sonchus arvensis subsp. arvensis, Sonchus arvensis subsp. humilis (N.I.Orlova) Tzvelev, Sonchus arvensis subsp. uliginosus (M.Bieb.) Nyman

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Hieracium arvense (L.) Scop. in Fl. Carniol., ed. 2, 2: 110 (1771)
Sonchoseris arvensis (L.) Fourr. in Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, sér. 2, 17: 103 (1869)
Sonchus vulgaris Rouy in G.Rouy & J.Foucaud, Fl. France 9: 204 (1905)
Sonchus vulgaris subsp. arvensis (L.) Rouy in G.Rouy & J.Foucaud, Fl. France 9: 205 (1905)

PUBLICATIONS

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Aver'ianov, L.V. & al. (2006). Illyustrirovannyi opredelitel' rastenii Leningradskoi oblasti: 1-799. Nauka, Moskva.

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.

Kharkevich, S.S. (ed.) (1992). Plantae Vasculares Orientalis Extremi Sovietici 6: 1-428. Nauka, Leningrad.

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Komiljon, T., Natalya, B., Avazbek, B., Dilnoza, A., Ziyoviddin, Y., Deng, T. & Sun, H. (2020). Flora of the Dzhizak Province, Uzbekistan: 1-523. China Forestry Publishing House.

Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Meades, S.J. & Brouillet, L. (2019). Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador https://newfoundland-labradorflora.ca/checklist.

Mirek, Z., Piękoś-Mirkowa, H., Zając, A. & Zając, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.

Nikolin, E.G. (2020). Opredelitel' vysshikh rasteniy Yakutii: 1-895. Moskva : Tovarishchestvo Nauchnykh Izdaniy KMK Novosibirsk "Nauka".

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Pruski, J.F. (ed.) (2018). Flora Mesoamericana 5(2): 1-608. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.

Roskov Y. & al. (eds.) (2018). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.

Stalažs, A. (2024). List of vascular plants of Latvia (with Latvian names): 1-312. Dobele.

Takahashi, H. (2024). Plants of Sakhalin island: 1-791. Hokkaido University Press.

VERNACULAR NAME

Armenian: Իշամառոլ դաշտային
Belarusian: Асот палявы
Bulgarian: Полски кострец
Catalan: Lletsó
Chinese (simplified): 苣荬菜
Chinese (traditional): 苣蕒菜 - 苦苣菜
Czech: Mléč rolní
Danish: Ager-svinemælk
Dutch: Akkermelkdistel
English: Perennial sow thistle, Corn sow thistle, Field sow thistle, Field sowthistle, Perennial sow thistle
Estonian: Põld-piimohakas
Faroese: Akursvínamjólk
Finnish: Peltovalvatti
French: Laiteron des champs
German: Acker-Gänsedistel
Guangdong: 苣蕒菜
Hong Kong: 苣蕒菜
Hungarian: Mezei csorbóka
Indonesian: Tempuyung
Irish: Bleachtán léana
Italian: Grespino dei campi
Java: Tempuyung
Lithuanian: Dirvinė pienė
Macao: 苣蕒菜
Norwegian: Åkerdylle
Polish: Mlecz polny
Portuguese: Serralha-africana
Romanian: Susai
Russian: Осот полевой
Slovak: Mlieč roľný
Slovenian: Njivska škrbinka
Spanish: Cardincha
Sunda: Lempung, Rayana, Jombang lalaki, Lampenas, Galibug
Swedish: Åkermolke
Taiwan: 苦苣菜
Thai: ผักกาดภูหิน
Turkish: Eşek Marulu, Tarla Eşek Marulu
Ukrainian: Жовтий осот польовий
United Kingdom: Perennial sow thistle
Welsh: Llaethysgallen y tir âr

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium