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Sonchus oleraceus L.

Synonyms

Carduus amplexicaulis, Sonchus angustissimus, Sonchus asper, Sonchus australis, Sonchus ciliatus, Sonchus fabrae, Sonchus glaber, Sonchus gracilis, Sonchus lacerus, Sonchus laevis, Sonchus longifolius, Sonchus macrotus, Sonchus mairei, Sonchus pallescens, Sonchus parviflorus, Sonchus reversus, Sonchus rivularis, Sonchus roseus, Sonchus royleanus, Sonchus runcinatus, Sonchus schimperi, Sonchus schmidianus, Sonchus spinulifoius, Sonchus spinulifolius, Sonchus subbipinnatifidus, Sonchus sundaicus, Sonchus tenerrimus, Sonchus umbellifer, Sonchus zacinthoides

Common names

Jeidaid, khas al wiz, Smooth Sow Thistle, wild lettuce

Extract from Wikipedia article

Sonchus oleraceus (common sowthistle, sow thistle, smooth sow thistle, annual sow thistle, hare's colwort, hare's thistle, milky tassel, swinies) is native to Asia and Europe. The Latin name Sonchus refers to the hollow stem, while oleraceus refers to its good taste. The common name sow thistle refers to its attractiveness to swine, and the similarity of the leaf to younger thistle plants. The common name hare's thistle refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits.

AI-generated Description

Sonchus oleraceus, also known as common sowthistle, is an annual or biennial herb native to Europe and Western Asia. In Qatar, it has been naturalized and is commonly found in urban areas, roadsides, and waste grounds. It grows up to 1 meter tall, with hollow stems, lobed leaves, and yellow flowers. Studies in Qatar have reported its presence in various regions, including Doha and Al Rayyan, often as a weed in cultivated fields and gardens. Its adaptability to arid environments makes it a common sight in the country's urban landscapes.

Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, November 15, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Flowers of Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, November 15, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Flower of smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, November 15, 2014
Al Wukair Street, Qatar

Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) near Al Khor Hospital. Qatar, January 9, 2015
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Fruits of smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya Farms. Qatar, January 16, 2015
Al Wukair Street, Qatar

Leaves of smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya Farms. Qatar, January 16, 2015
Al Wukair Street, Qatar

Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, February 20, 2015
Salwa Road, Qatar

Seed head of smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) in a roadside depression east from Al Jebail water treatment plant. Al Khor, Qatar, January 23, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) grown near acacia tree in windblown sand on roadside of Salwa Road in area of Khashem Al Nekhsh. Southern Qatar, March 18, 2016
Salwa Rd, Qatar

AI-generated summary of observations

Smooth sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) was observed growing on Green Circles in Irkhaya Farms, south-western Qatar, with flowers and leaves present in November 2014 and January 2015. The plant was also found near Al Khor Hospital in January 2015 and in a roadside depression east of Al Jebail water treatment plant in January 2016. In March 2016, it was observed growing in windblown sand on the side of Salwa Road, near an acacia tree. Fruits and seed heads were also noted in January 2015 and January 2016, respectively. The plant appeared to thrive in various environments, including irrigated farms and roadside areas, suggesting its adaptability to different conditions in Qatar. Its presence was recorded over several months, indicating its ability to grow and reproduce throughout the year.

Links

• Flora of Qatar.
• Unknown plants or plants without names.
• Duplicate and extra pictures of plants.
• Earlier version of collection of plants.
• Other collections of pictures from Qatar: Lizards of Qatar, Cats of Qatar, Camels of Qatar, and Fish of Qatar.
• Picture archives.
• Home page of A. Sergeev.

Outside links

• Sonchus oleraceus, Wikipedia article
• Sonchus oleraceus from www.catalogueoflife.org
• Ekhlas M. M. Abdel Bary, The Flora of Qatar, Volume I: The Dicotyledons. Doha 2012
• Flora of Qatar, Volume II: The Monocotyledons
• Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. John Norton et al. 2009
• Qatar eNature. Flora
• Ali Al-Rawi, Flowering plants of Kuwait, 1985
• Plants of Kuwait
• Flora of Saudi Arabia, Al-Qassim Region
• Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia by Rain and Dust at Flickr
• Plants of South-Western Morocco
• Pictures from Qatar (Flickr/cpmkutty)
• Arabian plants by Gary Brown
• Flora of Israel

How the web page was created

• A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
• Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
• Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org using a script.
• Pictures of plants were selected from a database using a script.
• This web page was written using a script.

Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.