Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. Common thistle

Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. - Common thistle

Scientific Description:

Biennial, c. 50−150 cm. Stem branched, arachnoid, winged for whole length of internodes or nearly so. Median cauline leaves oblong, pinnatisect, lateral lobes toothed, c. 3−6-paired, triangular to narrowly triangular, lateral and terminal lobes with 2−16 mm apical spine, spinose-strigose above, with setae 0−3.3 mm, otherwise glabrous; arachnoid to tomentose below. Lateral branches 1−8, 1−6-capitulate, uppermost leaves 0−3, equal to or shorter than involucre, ± involucrate. Involucres erect, ovoid, depressed, globose or broadly obovoid, 20−50 mm. Phyllaries sparsely to fairly densely arachnoid, c. 9−11-seriate; median ± erect, 12−20 mm incl. erect 2−2.5 × 0−2 mm apical spine. Corollas pinkish-purple to purple, 24−33 mm. Achenes 3.5−4.5 mm. Pappus 19−29 mm.

 

Flowering time: July−October.

Habitat: Grazed clearings in Pinus forest, roadside banks, slopes, stream-sides, drains, nr s.l.-2000 m.

 

Reference:
Davis PH & Parris BS (1975). Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 5: 397.

Public Description:

Cirsium vulgare, known as “common thistle”, is native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia and northwestern Africa. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas. It is a tall biennial thistle plant with pink-purple flowers, and grows up to 150 cm in length. It blooms between July and October and is found in grazed clearings in pine forest, roadside banks, slopes, stream-sides and drains. Common thistle is the national flower of Scotland, also features in Scottish and British heraldic through symbols, logos, and on British currency.

 

References:

Anonymous 1 (2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/Cirsium_vulgare, Accessed date: 16.11.2017.

Anonymous 2 (2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_Scotland Accessed date: 16.11.2017.

Yıldız B (2012). Cirsium L., 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.