SPECIES DESCRIPTION
SONCHUS TENERRIMUS
Family:- COMPOSITAE
Common Names:- Mediterranean sowthistle
Synonyms:- Sonchus tener.
Meaning:- Sonchus (Gr) Thistle.
Tenerrimus (L) Quite or most soft.
General description:- Annual or biennial; herbaceous.
Stem:-
1) 10-80 cm
Leaves:-
1) With subobtuse to acuminate auricles.
a) lower, glabrous, with few lobes.
b) upper, larger, often white-tomentose when young, pinnatisect with many ovate
to linear-lanceolate lobes strongly constricted at the base and entire or
denticulate, or rarely with linear lobes.
Flowers:-
1) Base of the capitula and upper part of the peduncles white-tomentose, often
glandular-hairy.
2) Involucral bracts 25-30.
3) Ligules longer than the corolla-tube.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes 2·5-3·3 x 0·5-1·2 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, tuberculate or rugose
between the ribs.
2) Pappus 6-8 mm, more or less persistent.
Key features:-
1) Achenes abruptly contracted at the base; rugose or tuberculate between the
ribs, neither strongly compressed nor winged.
2) Leaf-lobes strongly constricted at the base, or narrowly linear; terminal lobe
usually about as large as the lateral lobes.
3) Ligules longer than the corolla-tube.
4) Capitula distinctly pedunculate.
5) Leaves not or weakly spiny.
Habitat:- Mostly in coastal habitats, often on small islands, cultivated fields,
wasteground. 0-600 m.
Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Widespread in the Mediterranean region, N
Africa and SW Asia. very limited occurrence on Crete previously known only from
the islands of Gianysada and Chrysi and areas near Ierapetra and Hania. A recent
find (27/01/2021) has been made by Zacharias Angourakis near Heraklion.
Flowering time:- Mainly Mar-May.
Photos by:- Zacharias Angourakis
