Tim Challenger wrote:
On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:03:58 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:


In article , Stu
writes

Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

The foliage looks like a sow-thistle. I'm not confident in my ability to
distinguish the species, but perhaps the Perennial Sow-Thistle, _Sonchus
arvensis_ ("leaf spines soft"). The flower buds (and the flashes of
orange) don't say sow-thistle to me, but perhaps you've caught them at
just the wrong stage of development. Another possibility is a species of
_Crepis_, but they're not as common as _Sonchus_ (unless I'm overlooking
them as _Hieracium_), at least with that shape of leaf.


Those orange flashes are almost certainly insect eggs of some kind.

Thanks for your help.

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.