If you need help with plant identification, please contact your county noxious weed coordinator The flowers also provides a summer nectar source for pollinators Perennial sow thistle invades disturbed areas, roadsides and farmland. It is an aggressive agricultural weed that reduces crop yields. perennial milk-thistle, perennial sow-thistle (8) pycnidium of Diplodina coelomycetous anamorph feeds on (live) live has sap sucked by: Hyperomyzus lactucae: Currant-sowthistle Aphid: Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphids Recorded on Cultivated Plants in Norway 1946-1962, Fjelddalen, J., 1964 Identification and Life Cycle. North Dakota Agricultural College. The main difference between the two is that the annual sow thistle has much smaller flowers (less than 2.5 cm across) than the perennial sow thistle. Perennial sow thistle typically occurs in patches. Smooth Sow-thistle has pointed leaf auricles and Rough Sow-thistle has prickly leaves. Jun 14, 2012 - Sow Thistle Sonchus spp. Green matter in grain can increase drying costs and dockage. A perennial wildflower 50–200 cm tall with brown rhizomes 10–20 + cm long by 2–5 mm wide with roots 1–10 cm long by 1–2 mm wide; in cultivated fields, uncut ditches, along rivers, Perennial sowthistle flower (right). Description. Similar weeds . cluding saline soils), perennial sow-thistle does best in moist, fertile soils with full sun-light. Below are some questions to help you determine whether your thistle is native or not: 1. Thistles are members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and can be annual, biennal, or perennial. Sonchus arvensis L. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 70: 509-532. 1. perennial : Yellow flowers ; Sonchus arvense : Perennial sow-thistle ; Nonnative, noxious : Bright yellow flowers occur at end of branched stems; hairs on bracts and flower stalks : Clasping base; prickly margins more or less toothed; coarsely pinnate-lobed : Erect, smooth, leafy : 1.S ­ S feet : Perennial Identification difficulty. Food plant ofCattle, deer and rabbits. Perennial sowthistle is an erect plant, branching in the upper portion, and capable of growing to 6 feet tall. Primary Noxious, Class 2 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act.. Distribution. Flowers grow up to 5 cm wide. Stem bases hard, some-times ± woody. Leaves are alternate and waxy, with prickled edges and variable shape. ), is a peren-nial of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family. Canadian: Occurs in all provinces and territories (Brouillet et al. Identification difficulty. It can become a serious problem in ri-parian areas, and chemicals from decaying sow-thistle inhibit the seed germination of other species. Figure 1. Food plant ofCattle, deer and rabbits. 2016 Footnote 1). Perennial sowthistle is common in roadside and low maintenance turf and somewhat less common in landscapes. Selected Weeds of the United States. Stem leaves are much reduced, usually not lobed, and scarce; all leaves are prickly toothed along the margins. Young plants of these two species can be difficult to tell apart, but creeping thistle has hairless upper leaf surfaces and spineless stems whereas spear thistle has rigid bristles on upper leaf surfaces and a stem with discontinuous spiny wings. Introduced in North America, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines (USDA-ARS 2016Footnote 2). Stems are upright and leafy at the base. Cut stems exude a milky juice. Weed Seed: Sonchus arvensis (Perennial sow thistle) Family. perennial sowthistle This plant can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in … Leaf Structure: Entire to oak-leaf shaped with two to five lobes. Like any other weed, perennial sow-thistle plants can compete with crops for water, nutrients and sunlight. Brouillet, L., Coursol, F., Favreau, M. and Anions, M. 2016. Musk thistle is the most prevalent and invasive of the biennial thistles. Pl. Perennial sow thistle was probably introduced into North America as a seed contaminant (Lemna and Messersmith 1990Footnote 4). 2016 Footnote 1). Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Bright yellow ray flowers are 1 to 2 inches wide and found in clustered heads. It prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soils, fine-textured, rich soils. Stems are upright and leafy at the base. Primary Noxious, Class 2 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act.. Distribution. — (30.5 cm) long and decrease in size further up the stem, margins undulate with sharp spines. Photographs of the Perennial Sow-thistle and its description. 94. The perennial sowthistle in northeastern North America. Dandelions do not have spikes on the edges of their leaves, and true thistles have much tougher leaves. Bull thistle has prominent, sharp spines on each of the leaves narrow, pointed lobes. Perennial sowthistle can form dense monocultures by the spread of its rhizome-like roots. Stems are hollow, sparse… Lower leaves are petiolate while the upper leaves are sessile. Perennial Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis) Provincial Designation: Noxious Identification: Stems: Stems are upright, leafy at the base, branched in the tops and grow up to 2m tall. Common Name. Corn Sow-thistle, Creeping Sow Thistle, Dindle, Field Milk Thistle, Field Sow Thistle, Gutweed, Milk Thistle, Sonchus uliginosus, Tree Sow-thistle, Life cycle: Perennial Growth Habit: Erect plant growing in clumps Propagation: Seeds and rhizomes Leaf Margin: Wavy or lobed Leaf Hairs: Prickly and dentate; stems are hairless Leaf Structure: Entire to oak-leaf shaped with two to five lobes. Lately, perennial sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis) plants have been easy to find. Leaf Hairs: Prickly and dentate; stems are hairless. A native of Europe introduced to North America by the transport of contaminated crops, it is now widely distributed across the northern half of the United States. Sonchus arvensis Linnaeus, Sp. S. arvensis often occurs in annual crop fields and may cause substantial yield losses. Perennial sowthistle is an erect … Flower heads are numerous, yellow, and appear in corymbs. 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