Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, forest edge, wastelots, and other disturbed places.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees

Winter annual or biennial, 3-15 dm. tall, glabrous, with milky juice.

Leaves prickly on the midrib beneath and on the margins, pinnately lobed (or entire in one variety), twisted at the base to lie in a vertical plane, sagittate-clasping, 5-30 cm. long and 1-10 cm. wide.

Heads numerous, 13-27 flowered, the flowers yellow, all ligulate; involucre 10-15 mm. high, cylindric but broadening at the base, the bracts imbricate; pappus of white capillary bristles.

Achenes gray or yellowish, the body 3-4 mm. long and a third as wide, compressed, prominently several-nerved on each face, with fine spines above, the beak as long to twice as long as the body.