Flora of Israel: Sonchus oleraceus

Sonchus oleraceus, Sow thistle, Smooth Sow Thistle, Annual Sow Thistle, Hare’s Colwort, Hare’s Thistle, Milky Tassel, Swinies, Sea Sow-thistle, Hare’s lettuce,

Hebrew: מרור הגינות, Arabic: جعيض, Egypt: جعضض”Godeid”, جالوين “Galawein”

Scientific name:   Sonchus oleraceus L.
Synonym name:   Hieracium oleraceum L., Lactuca oleracea L.
Common name:   Sow-thistle, Hare’s lettuce
Hebrew name:   מרור הגינות
Arabic name:   جعيض
Egypt:   جعضض”Godeid”, جالوين “Galawein”
Family:   Compositae / Asteraceae, מורכבים

Life form:   Therophyte, annual
Leaves:   Alternate, dissected once, dentate or serrate
Flowers:   Yellow
Flowering Period:   All year round
Habitat:   Disturbed ground, cultivated areas
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Euro-Siberian – Med – Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Sonchus,Greek name for sow-thistle plants.

oleraceus, of the vegetable garden; herbs used in cooking.
Hieracium, Greek hierax, “a hawk.” Pliny the Elder (23-79) believed that hawks fed on this plant to strengthen their eyesight and thus it became the Greek and Latin name for this and similar plants, the common name of which is hawkweed.
Lactuca, Latin lact, milk, referring to the milky sap.
The Hebrew name: מרור, maror, bitter herbs; from מרר (=to be bitter).

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.