General Information

COMMON NAMES: Sow Thistle TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pū‘ā (RR MK MT), Puā (AT), Pu‘ā (AK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE n.Africa - Eurasia COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands, horticultural SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Leaf food (1+); Weed - minor KEY FEATURES: Annual erect herb to 1.2m. ROOT short taproot. STEM hollow, milky latex. LEAVES alternate, stalkless, glossy; to 25cm; arrow-like, w/wo dissection leaflets, basal lobes round and clasp stem; edge with sharp teeth. FLOWERS erect, yellow, to 2.5cmØ; 50-250 small ray florets with 5-toothed ray; ripening into white pompom. FRUIT an achene to 3x1mm; with white hairy tuft (=pappus).

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	++++	+++	P	P		-		-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Sonchus oleraceus Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Asterales; ASTERACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Leaf food (1+)
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Weed - minor. Comments: A minor weeds in gardens.

GENERAL NOTE: In Europe used as stock fodder and also cooked and eaten as greens by people. In Fiji it was introduced early in 1800s being widespread by 1855 [ACSmith, Flora]. Hawaii naturalised before 1871 [Wagner et.al. flora]. For Rarotonga, Cheeseman had it as 'not uncommon' in 1899.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.358 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.860 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.5/265 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.285 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.106 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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