Cirsium vulgare
| Cirsium vulgare | |
|---|---|
| |
| Plant in flower,Joure,Netherlands | |
| |
| Seedhead | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Cirsium |
| Species: | C. vulgare
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cirsium vulgare | |
| Subspecies and varieties[1] | |
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Synonymy
| |
Cirsium vulgare,thespear thistle,bull thistle,orcommon thistle,is a species of theAsteraceaegenusCirsium,native throughout most ofEurope(north to 66°N, locally 68°N),Western Asia(east to theYeniseiValley), andnorthwestern Africa(Atlas Mountains).[3][4][5][6]It is alsonaturalisedinNorth America,Africa,andAustraliaand is aninvasiveweedin several regions.[7][8][9]It is the national flower ofScotland.
The plant provides a great deal ofnectarforpollinators.It was rated in the top 10 for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in aUKplants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative.[10]Marsh thistle,Cirsium palustre,was ranked in first place while this thistle was ranked in sixth place. It also was a top producer of nectar sugar in another study in Britain, ranked third with a production per floral unit of (2300 ± 400 μg).[11]
Description[edit]
It is a tallbiennialor short-livedmonocarpicthistle,forming arosetteofleavesand ataprootup to 70 cm (28 in) long in the first year, and afloweringstem 1–1.5 m (3 ft 4 in - 4 ft 11 in) tall in the second (rarely third or fourth) year. It can grow up to 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) tall.[12]It sometimes will function as an annual, flowering in the first year. The stem is winged, with numerous longitudinal spine-tipped wings along its full length. The leaves are stoutly spined, grey-green, deeply lobed; the basal leaves grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long,[12]with smaller leaves on the upper part of the flower stem; the leaf lobes are spear-shaped (from which the English name derives). Theinflorescenceis 2.5–5 centimetres (0.98–1.97 in) diameter, pink-purple, with all thefloretsof similar form (no division into disc and ray florets). Theseedsare 5 millimetres (0.20 in) long, with a downypappus,which assists in wind dispersal. As in other species ofCirsium(but unlike species in the related genusCarduus), the pappus hairs are feathery with fine side hairs.[13][14]
Ecology[edit]
Spear thistle is often aruderal species,colonising bare disturbed ground, but also persists well on heavilygrazedland as it is unpalatable to most grazing animals.[14]Nitrogen-rich soils help increase its proliferation.[15]The flowers are a rich nectar source used by numerous pollinating insects, includinghoney bees,wool-carder bees,and manybutterflies.[16]The seeds are eaten bygoldfinches,linnetsandgreenfinches.[17]The seeds are dispersed by wind, mud, water, and possibly also byants;they do not show significant long-term dormancy, most germinating soon after dispersal and only a few lasting up to four years in thesoil seed bank.[18]Seed is also often spread by human activity such ashaybales.[14]
Weed status[edit]
Spear thistle is designated an "injurious weed" under the UKWeeds Act 1959,[19]and anoxious weedin Australia[18][20][21]and in nine US states.[22]Spread is only by seed, not by root fragments as in the relatedcreeping thistleC. arvense.It is best cleared from land by hoeing and deep cutting of the taproot before seeds mature; regular cultivation also prevents its establishment.[14]
Despite this label, the plant has beneficial qualities beyond its very highnectarproduction. It produces seeds eaten by theAmerican goldfinch,down from seed pods that is used by those birds fornestingmaterial. However, despite this servinggeneralistpollinators and animals, it is highly recommended to plantnativethistles and other plants as it can wreak havoc on natural ecosystems.
Other names[edit]
Common names include bull thistle,[14][23]Scots, Scottish, or Scotch thistle, and common thistle.[23]
Uses[edit]
The stems can be peeled (removing their spiny surfaces) and then steamed or boiled.[12]The tap roots can be eaten raw or cooked, but are only palatable on young thistles that have not yet flowered.[24]The dried florets steeped in water are used in rural Italy for curdling goats' milk in preparation for making cheese.[citation needed]
In culture[edit]
The plant features in some Scottish ceremonies such as the "Riding of the Marches", held annually inLangholmin July. The 1992 specimen measured six feet in length.[25]
Spear thistle is also the emblem ofNewton Regisin England.[25]
References[edit]
- ^Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Ten.Plants of the World Online.Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^The Plant List,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Ten.
- ^Flora Europaea:Cirsium vulgare
- ^Den Virtuella Floran:Cirsium vulgare(in Swedish, with maps)
- ^Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo asinino,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Ten.
- ^Flora of China,Dực kếyi ji,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Tenore
- ^Flora of North America, Bull or common or spear thistle, gros chardon, chardon vulgaire ou lancéolé, piqueux,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Tenore
- ^Atlas of Living Australia,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Ten., Black Thistle
- ^Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute, African Plant Database,Cirsium vulgare(Savi) Ten.
- ^"Which flowers are the best source of nectar?".Conservation Grade. 15 October 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 14 December 2019.Retrieved18 October2017.
- ^Hicks, DM; Ouvrard, P; Baldock, KCR (2016)."Food for Pollinators: Quantifying the Nectar and Pollen Resources of Urban Flower Meadows".PLOS ONE.11(6): e0158117.Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158117H.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158117.PMC4920406.PMID27341588.
- ^abcElias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982].Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods.New York:Sterling.p. 115.ISBN978-1-4027-6715-9.OCLC244766414.
- ^Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989).Flora of Britain and Northern Europe.ISBN0-340-40170-2
- ^abcdeBond, W., Davies, G., & Turner, R. J. (2007).The biology and non-chemical control Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare).Archived7 November 2020 at theWayback Machine6pp. HDRA the organic organisation.2006 Version
- ^"Bull thistle".Colorado Weed Management Association. Archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2015.Retrieved27 September2015.
- ^"Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten".Department of Environment and Conservation.Government of Western Australia. Archived fromthe originalon 22 March 2011.Retrieved7 July2011.
- ^"Spear thistle – Cirsium vulgare".Natural England.The Plant Press. Archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2011.Retrieved7 July2011.
- ^ab"Spear thistle".Weed Australia.Australian Weeds Committee National Initiative. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2011.Retrieved7 July2011.
- ^Defra, UK – Farming – Wildlife and plantsRagwort and injurious weedsArchived30 April 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Spear Thistle".Department of Primary Industries.Victorian Government.Retrieved7 July2011.
- ^"Declared Plant Policy"(PDF).Primary Industries and Resources SA.Government of South Australia. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 15 March 2011.Retrieved7 July2011.
- ^"USDA PLANTS Profile forCirsium vulgare".USDA Plant Database.USDA.Retrieved15 July2008.
- ^ab"Cirsium vulgare".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.Retrieved15 December2017.
- ^"Cirsium".Survival and Self Sufficiency.Retrieved9 September2011.
- ^abMabey R. (1996).Flora Britannica.Sinclair-Stevenson.ISBN1-85619-377-2.
External links[edit]
- "Cirsium vulgare".Plants for a Future.
- "Cirsium vulgare".Calflora.Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.
- Cirsium vulgarein theCalPhotosphoto database,University of California, Berkeley