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.
Identification credit: Navendu Pāgé
Photographed at JNCASR, Bangalore.
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The flower labeled Purple Sow Thistle is ...