Sonchus dregeanus DC.

First published in Prodr. 7: 184 (1838)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Zimbabwe to S. Africa, Madagascar.

Descriptions

Compositae, G. V. Pope. Flora Zambesiaca 6:1. 1992

Morphology General Habit
An erect glaucous perennial herb 12–90 cm. tall, from a semi-woody taproot.
Morphology Stem
Stems usually scapiform, 1-several-branched from near the base, sometimes simple, striately-ribbed.
Morphology Leaves
Cauline leaves few, grading into foliaceous bracts, or absent; lanceolate entire, attenuate above, semi-amplexicaul and sagittate-auriculate below. Leaves ± numerous, mostly basal, often rosulate, patent-ascending, up to c. 12(19) x 1(2.3) cm. Lower leaves very narrowly-oblanceolate to linear-elliptic, remotely lobed to sinuate-dentate or sharply denticulate, sometimes entire, attenuate-acute apically, glaucous; lobes up to c. 2.5 x 0.5 cm., recurved, narrowly lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula few in lax corymbiform cymes, sometimes solitary; mature capitula often subtended by 1-several subsessile buds; capitula bases and subtending buds densely white woolly.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucres up to c. 19 x 9 mm. in fruiting capitula, cylindric-campanulate, white-lanate below, the receptacle becoming somewhat swollen.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries
Phyllaries olive-green, glaucous, imbricate; the outermost c. 3 mm. long, ovate, lanate and often also patent-setose outside, semi-coriaceous; the innermost c. 15 x 2 mm. in flowering capitula, increasing to c. 19 mm. in fruiting capitula, glabrous, or setose on the midribs and apices, membranous, becoming involute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets numerous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corollas yellow, c. 15 mm. long, pubescent about the junction between the tube and ligule; ligule c. 4 mm. long, strap-shaped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes pale-brown, c. 5 mm. long, narrowly ellipsoid, slightly compressed, strongly c. 4-ribbed with 1–2 secondary ribs between, ribs eventually swollen and ± rugulose; pappus white, c. 10 mm. long, composed of few minutely barbellate setae intermixed with down-like hairs.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0