Asteraceae FAMILY

Sonchus arvensis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Sonchus arvensis is an erect, perennial plant producing a cluster of usually branched stems from a far-creeping, rhizomatous rootstock; the plant can grow 30 - 150cm tall[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves, for example by the Maoris of New Zealand, whilst in Indonesia there are improved varieties that have been selected for their edible leaves[ 153 Title Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Publication Author Brooker. S. G., Cambie. R. C. and Cooper. R. C. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1991 ISBN 0-19-558229-2 Description An interesting and readable book on the useful plants of New Zealand. , 183 Title Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Publication Author Facciola. S. Publisher Kampong Publications Year 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 Description Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world. ]. Sonchus arvensis has become a widespread weed of cultivated land, orchards and pastures throughout much of the temperate zone and also in subtropical areas with moist climates. Spreading initially by seed, it produces new shoots from a far-ranging root system, with gorizontal roots that can be up to 150cm long[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurope, excluding Portugal, through northern Asia to the Russian Far East

HabitatArable and waste land, ditches and on the drift line of salt and brackish margins, avoiding acid soils[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. , 9 Title Edible and Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Launert. E. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2 Description Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information. , 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. A persistent weed of cultivation[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). ].