Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Creeping Thistle

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. - Creeping Thistle

Scientific Description:

Many-stemmed, dioecious perennial, 20−100 cm, with adventitious shoots from deep wide-creeping roots. Leaves tomentose below, usually sparsely arachnoid above. Stems unwinged, usually branched, glabrous to floccose-arachnoid. Median cauline leaves sometimes shortly decurrent, ovate to oblong, entire to pinnatisect, with weak marginal spines 1−5 mm, without setae on upper surface, glabrous to sparsely floccose-arachnoid above; glabrous to tomentose below. Involucral leaves absent. Involucres obovoid-hemispherical, solitary to c. 11 on each branch; erect, 10−25 mm. Phyllaries 6−9-seriate, sparsely arachnoid, with prominent vitta; median 4−10 mm incl. 0.5 × 0.1 mm apical spine. Corollas light purple, 14−20 mm. Achenes 2.5−3.5 mm. Pappus 21−35 mm.

 

Flowering time: (May−)June−September(−October).

Habitat: Roadsides, riverbanks, ditches, pastures, cultivated land, wheat and cornfields, tea plantations, steppe, Quercus infectoria Oliv. and Quercus L. wood, 15−2500 m.

 

Reference:
Davis PH & Parris BS (1975). Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 410.

Public Description:

Cirsium arvense, known as “creeping thistle”, is native throughout Europe and northern Asia. It is a perennial herb with light purple flowers, and grows up to 100 cm in length. It blooms between June and September and is found in roadsides, riverbanks, ditches, pastures, cultivated land, wheat and cornfield etc. The flowers are visited by a wide variety of insects due to their pollens. The seeds are an important food for some birds, moths and butterfly species.

 

References:

Anonymous (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_arvense, Accessed date: 06.01.2016.

Yıldız B (2012). Cirsium Mill., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 141–146.