Some Common Plants of Upper Newport Bay

Prickly Sow-Thistle  (Sonchus asper)
Plant: Annual, single stem, erect, robust, mostly hairless, 3 to 8 feet tall.
Flowers: Flower heads on a few stems branching from the top of the plant.  Yellow, 3/8 to 5/8 inch high.
Leaf: Alternate, lower leaves on stems with margins deeply cleft into sharp lobes.  Upper leaves surround the stem and are deeply toothed.  Leaves are glossy.
Flowering period:  January to December
Can be found here: Bayview Nature Trail
Native Plant: No Halophyte: No
Family Name: Sunflower
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Date: 11/1/2003