Sonchus oleraceus (ASTERACEAE) Milk Thistle, Common Sowthistle

Herbacious plant with hollow stems that exude a white sap if broken. Leaves are bluish-green in colour with irregularly toothed margins. Leaves at the base of the plant are bigger than those higher up. Leaf bases are extended to clasp the stem.

Flower heads are bright yellow in small clusters at the tips of the upright stems throughout most of the year.

This photograph was taken in the early morning in a suburban garden near Fish Creek, The Gap, using a Canon 300D with a 100mm macro lens.

Seeds are narrow, ribbed lengthwise with a white silky tuft of hairs, resulting in a characteristic puff-ball flowerhead.