Plants and animals of Pointfield

Upright annual reaching 30 cm. Leaves oblanceolate with pointed tip; green to reddish purple in colour with small thorns all around the margin; base wraps around the stalk with a curved margin. Stem dark red; smooth, circular, hollow and hairless. Flowers as small cluster initially becoming stalked. Buds stout with three cycles of bracts. Flowers yellow dandilion-like with outermost petals reddish on underside.

Self seeds around in unweeded patches of the vegetable garden and flower borders.