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Sonki
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Sonki
ative Photo: Prashant Awale
Common name: Sonki, Mumbai Senecio, Graham's groundsel • Marathi: सोनकी Sonki
Botanical name: Senecio bombayensis    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Synonyms: Senecio grahamii Hook.f. [Illeg.], Doronicum reticulatum Wight [Illeg.]

Sonki is a gregarious plant of the Western Ghats which makes a splash during its mass flowering with the advent of monsoons. It is seen on hill-slopes, old roofs and forks of trees. It is an erect branched annual herb, growing to 30-100 cm high. Alternately arranged, rhomboid, coarsely toothed leaves are 3-10 cm long. Golden yellow flower-heads are 1-2 cm across. Ray-flowers ("petals") are 10-15 in number, linear oblong. Disk flowers are also yellow, but in a darker shade.

Identification credit: Prashant Awale Photographed in Maharashtra.

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