Emilia sonchifolia - Purple Sow Thistle

Purple Sow Thistle is an annual herb with a branched taproot. Stems are weak, erect or often branched at the base, smooth or sparingly hairy, 10 to 60 cm tall. This species is recognized by the sow-thistle like leaves. Lower leaves are deeply and irregularly toothed, kidney-shaped, ovate, triangular-ovate or obovate, 4-16 cm long, 1-8 cm wide with narrowly winged stalks. Upper leaves are smaller, alternately arranged, usually entire, sometimes coarsely toothed, stalkless and somewhat clasping the main stem. Inflorescence is an involucrate flower head resembling a single flower, 1.2-1.4 cm long, 4-5 mm wide, urn-shaped, long-stalked, at the end of branches. Flowering branches usually dichotomously branched with 3-6 heads, each head or capitulum a composite of numerous florets. The cup of the flower-head is green, cylindrical, somewhat inflated below. Florets are 30-60 per head, purple, scarlet, red, pink, orange, white or lilac. Purple Sow Thistle is found in the Himalayas, up to altitudes of 2100 m.