Sonchus oleraceous from Delhi

[Gurcharan Singh]

The third reference to Sonchus is the photographs uploaded by Suresh ji on May 4, 2009 and recorded in our database as Sonchus species:

http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/f8e7c07fc2437749

as well as one uploaded by Devendra ji on August 14, 2009 and which I had identified as Sonchus oleraceous

http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/3f9f4a686d54837d/6e70117c2ac897ca?lnk=gst&q=Sonchus#6e70117c2ac897ca

Both these to my mind belong to Sonchus oleraceous. I have been observing Delhi specimens critically and have noticed that these have somewhat spiny edges, normal for S. oleraceous. The species of Sonchus are often distinguished on the basis of auricles, spreading and acute in S. oleraceous, almost rounded in S. asper. I have observed that all these features occur in different leaves of the same plant. I have yet to find an authentic specimens of S. asper and would urge members to look for similar plants with shaply spiny leaves like below and upload them

http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rWksMjEBTQk/Sa1Y6lnz1WI/AAAAAAAAMkI/cRJsMGo2Ecw/s800/leo-mic-Sonchus-asper-583.jpg&imgrefurl=http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/pz/sonchus_asper.htm&usg=__BXUC16ZweB8U0f8DQ2jxpOmEibg=&h=492&w=346&sz=65&hl=en&start=11&sig2=GQqTAm-EDdr9qU-RCO4mMg&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=I9EB3tMMZGeUZM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsonchus%2Basper%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=BiaFS-3WKcifrAffyO3IAg

http://www.cnpsci.org/Photos/Plants/Sonchus_asper-P521123.gif

http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/fms/default/science/about/departments/sbs/student_information/schools/nzplants/food/images/s_to_z/sonchus_asper1(400).jpg

I am uploading my specimens of Sonchus oleraceous from Delhi

Date/Time-  22-2-2010, 24-2-2010

Location- Place, Altitude, GPS-  Vikas Puri, New Delhi, 213 m asl

Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type- waste places, field borders

Plant Habit- Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb- Annual herb

Height/Length- up to 1 m tall

Leaves Type/ Shape/ Size- pinnately lobed with marginal serrations often ending in small mucro, basal auricles flaring or rounded but acute at base

Inflorescence Type/ Size- Ligulate capitulum

Flowers Size/ Colour/ Calyx/ Bracts- 2-2.5 cm across head, yellow 

Fruits Type/ Shape/ Size Seeds-  fruit cypsella, pappus white

Other Information like Fragrance, Pollinator, Uses etc.-

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Dr. Hari Venkatesh K Rajaraman]

Sir,
we have some confusions with differentiating taraxacum officinale and
sonchus sp. please guide is with this

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dear Hari ji

Taraxacum and Sonchus can easily be differentiated in that we have only basal leaves in Taraxacum, there is not leafy stem, there being only individual scapes each ending in a capitulum. Sonchus has leafy stems with with several capitula and the leaves are usually with basal auricles. I hope that helps you.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor

SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

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