Sonchus
/ˈsɒŋ.kəs/noun
A genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, commonly called sow-thistles.
Did you know?Sonchus is an ancient Greek botanical name, preserved through Latin into modern scientific classification, showing how plant names can survive for over two millennia.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σόγχος (sónkhos)
“A kind of thistle or sow-thistle”
Classical Latin
Latin
sonchus
“A thistle-like plant, especially sow-thistle”
Medieval Latin
Latin
sonchus
“The same botanical name used in herbals and learned texts”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
Sonchus
“The genus name for sow-thistles in botanical taxonomy”