Cirsium
Encyclopedia
Cirsium is a genus of perennial
and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae
, one of several genera known commonly as thistle
s. They are more accurately known as Plume thistle
s. These differ from other thistle genera (Carduus
, Silybum
and Onopordum
) in having feathered hairs to their achene
s. The other genera have a pappus
of simple unbranched hair.
They are mostly native to Eurasia and northern Africa, with about 60 species from North America (although several species have been introduced outside their native ranges).
Thistles are known for their effusive flower heads, usually purple or rose to pink, also yellow or white. The radially symmetrical disk flowers are at the end of the branches. They have erect stems and prickly leaves, with a characteristic enlarged base of the flower which is commonly spiny. The leaves are alternate, and some species can be slightly hairy. Extensions from the leaf base down the stem, called wings, can be lacking (Cirsium arvense), conspicuous (Cirsium vulgare), or inconspicuous. They can spread by seed
, and also by rhizome
s below the surface (Cirsium arvense). The seed has tufts of tiny hair, or pappus
, which can carry them far by wind.
Cirsium thistles are used as food plants by the larva
e of some Lepidoptera
species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Cirsium. The seeds are attractive to small finches such as American Goldfinch
.
Most species are considered weed
s. Cirsium vulgare
(Bull Thistle, Common Thistle, or Spear Thistle) is listed as a noxious weed in nine US states. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their aesthetic value and to attract butterflies. Some other common species are: Cirsium lanceolatum, Cirsium palustre
, Cirsium oleraceum
.
Certain species of Cirsium, like Cirsium monspessulanum, Cirsium pyrenaicum and Cirsium vulgare
, have been traditionally used as food in rural areas of Southern Europe. Cirsium oleraceum
is cultivated as a food source in Japan
and India
.
The word 'Cirsium' derives from the Greek word kirsos meaning 'swollen vein'. Thistles were used as a remedy against swollen veins. The flower blooms April to August.
Hybrids
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, one of several genera known commonly as thistle
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
s. They are more accurately known as Plume thistle
Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe , western Asia , and northwestern Africa...
s. These differ from other thistle genera (Carduus
Carduus
Carduus is a genus of about 90 species of thistles in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Carduus is Latin for a thistle....
, Silybum
Milk thistle
The milk thistle is a thistle of the genus Silybum Adans., a flowering plant of the daisy family . They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East...
and Onopordum
Onopordum
Onopordum L. is a genus of about 40 species of thistles belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to Europe , northern Africa, the Canary Islands, the Caucasus, and southwest and central Asia...
) in having feathered hairs to their achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
s. The other genera have a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
of simple unbranched hair.
They are mostly native to Eurasia and northern Africa, with about 60 species from North America (although several species have been introduced outside their native ranges).
Thistles are known for their effusive flower heads, usually purple or rose to pink, also yellow or white. The radially symmetrical disk flowers are at the end of the branches. They have erect stems and prickly leaves, with a characteristic enlarged base of the flower which is commonly spiny. The leaves are alternate, and some species can be slightly hairy. Extensions from the leaf base down the stem, called wings, can be lacking (Cirsium arvense), conspicuous (Cirsium vulgare), or inconspicuous. They can spread by seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
, and also by rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s below the surface (Cirsium arvense). The seed has tufts of tiny hair, or pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
, which can carry them far by wind.
Cirsium thistles are used as food plants by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Cirsium. The seeds are attractive to small finches such as American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
The American Goldfinch , also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a small North American bird in the finch family...
.
Most species are considered weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
s. Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe , western Asia , and northwestern Africa...
(Bull Thistle, Common Thistle, or Spear Thistle) is listed as a noxious weed in nine US states. Some species are cultivated in gardens for their aesthetic value and to attract butterflies. Some other common species are: Cirsium lanceolatum, Cirsium palustre
Cirsium palustre
Cirsium palustre, the marsh thistle or European swamp thistle, is a herbaceous biennial species of the genus Cirsium. It is a tall thistle which reaches up to in height. The strong stems have few branches and are covered in small spines...
, Cirsium oleraceum
Cirsium oleraceum
Cirsium oleraceum is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, native to central and eastern Europe and Asia, where it grows in wet lowland soils....
.
Certain species of Cirsium, like Cirsium monspessulanum, Cirsium pyrenaicum and Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe , western Asia , and northwestern Africa...
, have been traditionally used as food in rural areas of Southern Europe. Cirsium oleraceum
Cirsium oleraceum
Cirsium oleraceum is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, native to central and eastern Europe and Asia, where it grows in wet lowland soils....
is cultivated as a food source in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The word 'Cirsium' derives from the Greek word kirsos meaning 'swollen vein'. Thistles were used as a remedy against swollen veins. The flower blooms April to August.
Species
- Cirsium acarna - Soldier Thistle
- Cirsium acauleCirsium acauleCirsium acaule or acaulon has the English name Dwarf Thistle. It can be found in various parts of England, and France to Denmark. It is found on short, calcerous grasslands.-Description:...
- Stemless Thistle, Dwarf Thistle - Cirsium altissimum - Roadside Thistle, Tall Thistle
- Cirsium amblylepis - Mt. Tamalpais Thistle
- Cirsium andersoniiCirsium andersoniiCirsium andersonii is a species of thistle known by the common names Anderson's thistle and rose thistle. It is native to California and Nevada, where it grows in the woodlands and forest openings of the local high mountain ranges, including the southern reaches of the Cascade Range. It has also...
- Anderson's Thistle, Rose Thistle - Cirsium andrewsiiCirsium andrewsiiCirsium andrewsii is an uncommon species of thistle known by the common name Franciscan thistle. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area from Marin to San Mateo Counties. It grows in coastal habitat such as sea bluffs and canyons, and is...
- Franciscan Thistle - Cirsium araneans - Jeweled Thistle
- Cirsium arcuum - Powderpuff Thistle
- Cirsium aridum - Desert Thistle
- Cirsium arizonicumCirsium arizonicumCirsium arizonicum is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, native to the southwestern United States, including Arizona, southeastern California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah....
- Arizona Thistle - Cirsium arvenseCirsium arvenseCirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle.-Alternate names:...
- Creeping Thistle, Field Thistle, Canada Thistle- Cirsium arvense var.argenteum
- Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium
- Cirsium arvense var. mite
- Cirsium arvense var. vestitum
- Cirsium barnebyi - Barneby's Thistle
- Cirsium brachycephalum
- Cirsium brevifolium - Palouse Thistle
- Cirsium brevistylumCirsium brevistylumCirsium brevistylum is a species of thistle known by the common names Indian thistle and clustered thistle. It is native to western North America from southwestern British Columbia to California, where it grows in moist areas in many types of habitat, from mountain forests to chaparral and coastal...
- Clustered Thistle - Cirsium calcareum - Cainville Thistle
- Cirsium californicum - California Thistle
- Cirsium callilepis - Fringebract Thistle
- Cirsium campylon - Mount Hamilton Thistle
- Cirsium canescens - Platte Thistle, Prairie Thistle
- Cirsium canovirens - Graygreen Thistle
- Cirsium canum - Queen Anne's Thistle
- Cirsium carolinianum - Carolina Thistle, Soft Thistle
- Cirsium caulescens
- Cirsium centaureae
- Cirsium chellyense - Queen Thistle
- Cirsium chuskaense - Monarch Thistle
- Cirsium ciliolatumCirsium ciliolatumCirsium ciliolatum is a species of thistle known by the common name Ashland thistle. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains, where it is known from only a few occurrences in Jackson County, Oregon, and Siskiyou County, California. It is related to Cirsium undulatum and may be more accurately...
- Ashland Thistle - Cirsium clavatum - Lake Thistle
- Cirsium clokeyi - Charleston Mountain Thistle, Whitespine Thistle
- Cirsium congdonii - Rosette Thistle
- Cirsium costaricense
- Cirsium coulteri - Coulter’s Thistle
- Cirsium crassicauleCirsium crassicauleCirsium crassicaule is a species of thistle known by the common name slough thistle. It is endemic to the San Joaquin Valley of California, where it is known primarily from freshwater wetlands....
- Slough Thistle - Cirsium cymosumCirsium cymosumCirsium cymosum is a species of thistle known by the common name peregrine thistle. It is native to California, where it grows in several types of mountain and foothill habitat, and its range extends just into Oregon. This native thistle is a biennial or perennial herb with a maximum height just...
- Peregrine Thistle - Cirsium diacanthum
- Cirsium discolorCirsium discolorCirsium discolor is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium. Field thistle has a pink or lavender flower that blooms in late summer/early fall. Field thistle is common and lives in most moist areas of eastern North America....
- Field Thistle, Pasture Thistle - Cirsium dissectumCirsium dissectumCirsium dissectum, also known as Meadow Thistle, is an erect perennial herb. It is found in England, Wales, Ireland, from western France to the Netherlands, and Germany. It is found in fens and less acidic peat bogs i.e. it prefers damp boggy areas....
- Meadow Thistle - Cirsium douglasiiCirsium douglasiiCirsium douglasii is a species of thistle known by the common names Douglas' thistle and California swamp thistle. It is native to the central coast and northern California ranges, foothills, and plateaus, and adjacent parts of southern Oregon and northwest Nevada...
- Cirsium drummondii - Dwarf Thistle
- Cirsium durangense
- Cirsium eatonii - Eaton's Thistle
- Cirsium eduleCirsium eduleCirsium edule, the Edible Thistle, is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, native to western North America from southeastern Alaska south through British Columbia to Washington and Oregon, and locally inland to Idaho....
- Edible Thistle - Cirsium engelmannii - Engelmann Thistle, Engelmann's Thistle
- Cirsium eriophorumCirsium eriophorumCirsium eriophorum or Woolly thistle is a herbaceous biennial species of the genus Cirsium....
- Woolly Thistle - Cirsium erisithales - Yellow Melancholy Thistle
- Cirsium esculentum
- Cirsium flodmanii - Flodman Thistle, Flodman's Thistle
- Cirsium foliosum - Drummond's Thistle, Elk Thistle, Leafy Thistle, Meadow Thistle
- Cirsium fontinaleCirsium fontinaleCirsium fontinale or Fountain thistle is an flowering perennial herb of the Asteraceae family, endemic to a limited region within northern and central California at an elevation not exceeding 750 meters. Occurrences appear limited to serpentine seeps and streams within portions of the San...
- Fountain Thistle - Cirsium gilense - Gila Thistle
- Cirsium grahamii - Graham's Thistle
- Cirsium griseum - Gray Thistle
- Cirsium hallii - Hall's Thistle
- Cirsium helenioides - Melancholy Thistle, Common Melancholy Thistle
- Cirsium heterophyllumCirsium heterophyllumCirsium heterophyllum, also known as Melancholy Thistle, is an erect spineless herb. It is found in England, Wales and Scotland but not in the south of these countries. In Ireland it is very rare, and Denmark it is only locally found. It grows in upland meadows, grasslands, roads and open...
- Melancholy Thistle - Cirsium hilliiCirsium hilliiCirsium pumilum var. hillii is a type of thistle endemic to North America. The common name for this plant is Hill’s thistle . Alternate names for this plant include Cirsium hillii and Cirsium pumilum subsp...
- Hill's Thistle - Cirsium hookerianum - White Thistle
- Cirsium horridulum - Yellow Thistle
- Cirsium humboldtense - Humboldt County Thistle
- Cirsium hydrophilumCirsium hydrophilumCirsium hydrophilum is a species of thistle which is endemic to California, where it is found only in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. This native thistle grows in wet boggy habitats.-Description:...
- Suisun Thistle - Cirsium hypoleucum
- Cirsium inornatum - Cloudcroft Thistle
- Cirsium japonicum - Japanese Thistle
- Cirsium kamtschaticum - Kamchatka Thistle
- Cirsium lanatum - Hairy Thistle
- Cirsium lanceolatum
- Cirsium laterifolium - Porcupine Thistle
- Cirsium leconteiCirsium leconteiCirsium lecontei is a species of thistle that is part of the Asteraceae family. Cirsium lecontei is a forb/herb of the genus Cirsium. A forb/herb is a non-woody plant that is not a grass. It’s duration is perennial, which means it will grow year after year. It sometimes appears biennial. They...
- Le Conte's Thistle - Cirsium leo
- Cirsium libanoticum
- Cirsium loncholepisCirsium loncholepisCirsium loncholepis is a rare species of thistle known by the common name La Graciosa thistle. It is endemic to California, where it is known from about 15 remaining occurrences in wetlands where southwestern San Luis Obispo County borders northwestern Santa Barbara County...
- LaGraciosa Thistle - Cirsium longistylum - Longstyle Thistle
- Cirsium maritimum
- Cirsium mendocinum - Mendocino Thistle
- Cirsium mexicanum - Mexican Thistle
- Cirsium modestum - Lacy Thistle
- Cirsium mohavenseCirsium mohavenseCirsium mohavense is a species of thistle known by the common name Mojave thistle. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in moist areas in otherwise dry habitat, such as desert springs. It is most common in the Mojave Desert. It is a biennial or perennial growing up to 2.5...
- Mojave Thistle - Cirsium murdockii - Murdock's Thistle
- Cirsium muticum - Swamp Thistle
- Cirsium navajoense - Navajo Thistle
- Cirsium neomexicanumCirsium neomexicanumCirsium neomexicanum is a species of thistle known by the common names New Mexico thistle, powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle and desert thistle. This plant is native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Mojave Desert. It is a tall plant, routinely exceeding 2 meters...
- Lavender Thistle, New Mexico Thistle - Cirsium nipponicum
- Cirsium nuttallii - Nuttall's Thistle
- Cirsium occidentaleCirsium occidentaleCirsium occidentale, with the common name Cobwebby thistle, is a species of thistle native throughout California deserts, mountains, and valleys, and in western Nevada, southern Oregon, and southwestern Idaho...
-Cobweb Thistle - Cirsium ochrocentrumCirsium ochrocentrumCirsium ochrocentrum is a species of thistle known by the common name yellowspine thistle. It is native to the central United States, but its distribution is somewhat wider, reaching to California and into Mexico where the plant has been introduced. It is a weed which grows in disturbed areas such...
- Yellowspine Thistle - Cirsium oleraceumCirsium oleraceumCirsium oleraceum is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, native to central and eastern Europe and Asia, where it grows in wet lowland soils....
- Cabbage thistle - Cirsium olivescens - Summer Thistle
- Cirsium oreophilum - Crow Thistle
- Cirsium osterhoutii - Osterhout's Thistle
- Cirsium ownbeyi - Ownbey's Thistle
- Cirsium pallidum - Pale Thistle
- Cirsium palustreCirsium palustreCirsium palustre, the marsh thistle or European swamp thistle, is a herbaceous biennial species of the genus Cirsium. It is a tall thistle which reaches up to in height. The strong stems have few branches and are covered in small spines...
- Marsh thistle, European Swamp Thistle - Cirsium parryiCirsium parryiCirsium parryi is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Parry's thistle. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it occurs in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico....
- Parry's Thistle - Cirsium pastoris - Snowy Thistle
- Cirsium peckii - Steen Mountain Thistle
- Cirsium pendulum
- Cirsium perplexans - Rocky Mountain Thistle
- Cirsium pitcheri - Pitcher's Thistle, Sand Dune Thistle
- Cirsium praeteriens - Palo Alto Thistle, Lost Thistle
- Cirsium proteanum - Red Thistle
- Cirsium pulcherrimum - Wyoming Thistle
- Cirsium pumilum - Pasture Thistle
- Cirsium pyrenaicum
- Cirsium quercetorumCirsium quercetorumCirsium quercetorum is a species of thistle endemic to coastal California, its common names include brownie thistle and Alameda thistle.-Distribution:...
- Alameda County Thistle - Cirsium remotifoliumCirsium remotifoliumCirsium remotifolium is a species of thistle known by the common name fewleaf thistle. It is native to the western United States, including the Pacific Coast and possibly as far east as the Rocky Mountains, depending on which populations are treated as part of the species. It is sometimes part of...
- Fewleaf Thistle- Cirsium remotifolium var. remotifolium - Fewleaf Thistle
- Cirsium repandum - Sandhill Thistle
- Cirsium rhaphilepis
- Cirsium rhothophilumCirsium rhothophilumCirsium rhothophilum is a species of thistle known by the common name surf thistle. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the coastline around the border between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. It grows in sand dunes and coastal scrub near the beach. This native...
- Surf Thistle - Cirsium rivulare
- Cirsium rothrockii - Rothrock's Thistle
- Cirsium rusbyi - Rusby's Thistle
- Cirsium rydbergii - Rydberg's Thistle
- Cirsium scabrum - Rough Thistle
- Cirsium scapanolepis - Mountain Slope Thistle
- Cirsium scariosumCirsium scariosumCirsium scariosum is a species of thistle known by the common names meadow thistle and elk thistle. It is native to much of western North America from Canada to Mexico, where it grows in a variety of habitat types. This is a variable species made up of several geographic races, most of which have...
- Meadow Thistle - Cirsium scopulorum - Mountain Thistle
- Cirsium segetum
- Cirsium serrulatum
- Cirsium spinosissimumCirsium spinosissimumCirsium spinosissimum is a species of thistle which grows on dry rocky areas. The plant is between 20 to 80 cm....
- Cirsium subniveum - Gray Thistle, Jackson Hole Thistle
- Cirsium tanakae
- Cirsium texanum - Texas Thistle
- Cirsium tioganum - Stemless Thistle
- Cirsium tuberosum - Tuberous Thistle. Similar to Cirsium dissectumCirsium dissectumCirsium dissectum, also known as Meadow Thistle, is an erect perennial herb. It is found in England, Wales, Ireland, from western France to the Netherlands, and Germany. It is found in fens and less acidic peat bogs i.e. it prefers damp boggy areas....
(Meadow Thistle). - Cirsium turneri - Cliff Thistle
- Cirsium undulatumCirsium undulatumCirsium undulatum is a species of thistle known by the common names wavyleaf thistle and gray thistle. It is native to much of central and western North America from Canada to Mexico, and present outside of its native range as an introduced species. It is widespread and found in many habitat types....
- Gray Thistle, Wavy-leaf Thistle, Wavyleaf Thistle- Cirsium undulatum var. tracyi - Tracy's Thistle, Wavyleaf Thistle
- Cirsium undulatum var. undulatum - Wavyleaf Thistle
- Cirsium validus - Graceful Thistle
- Cirsium vernale - Spring Thistle
- Cirsium vinaceumCirsium vinaceumCirsium vinaceum is a rare species of thistle known by the common name Sacramento Mountains thistle. It is endemic to Otero County, New Mexico, in the United States, where it is known only from the Sacramento Mountains. The plant can be found in six canyon systems in a southern section of this...
- Sacramento Mountain Thistle, Sacramento Mountains Thistle - Cirsium virginense - Virgin Thistle
- Cirsium virginianum - Virginia Thistle
- Cirsium vulgareCirsium vulgareCirsium vulgare is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe , western Asia , and northwestern Africa...
- Bull Thistle, Spear Thistle, Common Thistle, Fuller's Thistle (syn. C. lanceolatum) - Cirsium wheeleri - Wheeler's Thistle
- Cirsium wrightii - Wright's Thistle
Hybrids
- Cirsium × canalense - Canal Thistle
- Cirsium × crassum - Thistle
- Cirsium × erosum - Glory Thistle
- Cirsium × iowense - Iowa Thistle
- Cirsium × vancouverense - Vancouver Thistle