Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae] |
Flowers: |
Pappus: (white) |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
stem
9th July 2005, near Hope, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows up to 2 metres high. |
15th July 2011, Galloway. | Photo: © Sue King-Smith |
Amazing un-furling from bud. Like all flowers of the Daisy Family, each of the five strips is a flower in its own right (and not a 'petal'). |
9th July 2005, near Hope, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Has large azure to lilac coloured Dandelion-type flowers, but with fewer ray-florets than Dandelions. [Those of Alpine Blue-Sowthistleand Hairless Blue-Sowthistlehave bluer flowers]. |
11th July 2006, Adstone, Church Stretton, Shropshire. | Photo: © RWD |
The inner long and narrow style florets have deeper sky-blue stigmas. |
31st July 2007, near Hawes Water, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The many bracts around the base of the flower are of various lengths may be tinged purple at the ends and have sticky hairs which also cover the stems and un-opened flower buds. The bracts form a narrower neck half-way up un-like those of Hairless Blue-Sowthistle, which is also hair-less. |
22nd Aug 2008, Bradwell, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Ripe flowers have a reddish tip and are now ready for their last opening - to display a seed-clock. |
9th July 2005, near Hope, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves are very variable in shape, but triangular-toothed. Some are arrow-head shaped, whereas others have a deep neck nearer the stem. All clasp the main stem without stalks. |
31st July 2007, near Hawes Water, Silverdale, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves clasp the main stem without auricles. |
22nd Aug 2008, Bradwell, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Like all Dandelion-type flowers, the flowers produce a seed-clock aka pappus. |
30th May 2015, Green Lane, nr. Chelmorton, White Peak. | Photo: © RWD |
A long raft on the grass (not much grass visible now) roadside verge. |
30th May 2015, Green Lane, nr. Chelmorton, White Peak. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves pointed oval, some with heart-shaped bases - like a Ace of Spades. |
30th May 2015, Green Lane, nr. Chelmorton, White Peak. | Photo: © RWD |
Irregular teeth on edge. |
30th May 2015, Green Lane, nr. Chelmorton, White Peak. | Photo: © RWD |
The teeth interspersed with short hairs &/or short teeth. |
Some similarities to : Chicory and to Russian Lettuce Distinguishing Feature : Not to be semantically confused with : Blue Globe-Thistle (Echinops bannaticus) which has spherical flower-heads. Not to be mistaken for:
Common Blue-Sowthistle is a garden escapee which has become naturalised, occurring in several clusters around the UK, but in only three areas in Eire near the South East coast. This Blue-Sowthistle does not belong to the Sonchus genus and therefore does not exude a milky sap from broken stems, but rather to the Cicerbita genus. The Common Blue-Sowthistle which is found in the UK is the sub-species ssp. uralensis. |
Cicerbita | plumieri | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Asteraceae |
Cicerbita (Blue-sowthistles) |
Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae] |