| Sow thistles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sonchus oleraceus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Cichorioideae |
| Tribe: | Cichorieae |
| Subtribe: | Hyoseridinae |
| Genus: | Sonchus L. |
| Type species | |
| Sonchus oleraceus[2][3] | |
| Subgenera[1] | |
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| Synonyms[4] | |
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Sonchus is a genus of flowering plants in the tribeCichorieae within the familyAsteraceae[3][5] and are commonly known assow thistles (less commonlyhare thistles orhare lettuces). Sowthistles are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, with or without rhizomes and a few are even woody (subgenusDendrosonchus, restricted to theCanary Islands andMadeira).[6][7][8][9][10]
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The genus is named after theAncient Greek for such plants,σόγχος. All are characterized by soft, somewhat irregularly lobedleaves that clasp the stem and, at least initially, form a basal rosette. Thestem contains a milkylatex.Flower heads are yellow and range in size from half to one inch in diameter; theflorets are all of ray type.Sonchus fruits are single-seeded, dry andindehiscent.[11] Sow thistles are common roadside plants, and while native toEurasia and tropicalAfrica, they are found almost worldwide intemperate regions.[12]
Mature sow thistle stems can range from 30 cm to 2 m (1 to 6 ft) tall, depending upon species and growing conditions. Coloration ranges from green to purple in older plants. Sow thistles exude a milkylatex when any part of the plant is cut or damaged, and it is from this fact that the plants obtained the common name, "sow thistle", as they were fed to lactatingsows in the belief thatmilk production would increase. Sow thistles are known as "milk thistles" in some regions, althoughmilk thistle more commonly refers to the genusSilybum.
The following 106 species are accepted byPlants of the World Online as of March 2023[update].[13]
In many areas sow thistles are considerednoxious weeds,[14] as they grow quickly in a wide range of conditions and their wind-borneseeds allow them to spread rapidly.Sonchus arvensis, the perennial sow thistle, is considered the most economically detrimental, as it can crowd commercialcrops, is a heavy consumer ofnitrogen insoils, may deplete soil water of land left tofallow, and can regrow and sprout additional plants from its creepingroots. However, sow thistles are easily uprooted by hand, and their soft stems present little resistance to slashing or mowing.
Mostlivestock will readily devour sow thistle in preference tograss, and this lettuce-relative is edible and nutritious to humans—in fact this is the meaning of the second part of the Latin name of the common sow thistle,oleraceus.[15] Attempts at weed control by herbicidal use, to the neglect of other methods, may have led to a proliferation of these species in some environments.[16]
Sow thistles are common host plants foraphids. Gardeners may consider this a benefit or a curse; aphids may spread from sow thistle to other plants, but alternatively the sow thistle can encourage the growth of beneficial predators such ashoverflies. In this regard sow thistles make excellentsacrificial plants.Sonchus species are used as food plants by thelarvae of someLepidoptera includingCelypha rufana and thebroad-barred white,grey chi,nutmeg, andshark moths. TheflyTephritis formosa is known to attack thecapitula of this plant.[17]
Sow thistles have been used as fodder, particularly forrabbits, hence the other common names of "hare thistle" or "hare lettuce". They are also edible tohumans as aleaf vegetable; old leaves and stalks can bebitter but young leaves have a flavour similar tolettuce. Going by the namepūhā orrareke (raraki) it is a traditional food eaten inNew Zealand byMāori. When cooked the flavour is reminiscent ofchard.
The greens were eaten by theindigenous people of North America. Edible raw when young, the older greens can also be eaten after cooking briefly.[18]
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