Perennial sowthistle
Sonchus arvensis
Importance
Likes wet heavy loams and rich clays. Scattered but serious where it does occur.
1. Readily grows from root fragments but where seedlings occur, cotyledons are smooth, oval and short stalked. They are reddish-purple on the margins and light green in colour.
2. First leaves are also a long oval shape and short stalked, with a shiny appearance. True leaves are long and narrow, with toothed margins and form a rosette prior to stem extension and flowering.
3. This perennial is tall with bright yellow flowers, which are larger than those of the annual sowthistle species.
