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- Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare — common thistle
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Common thistle is native to Europe and Asia, and has become an invasive weed across North America in a variety of habitats, especially in disturbed areas. Because livestock avoid common thistle, it rapidly increases in pastures.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 150–400 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract outer side hair type
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- the bracts are hairy, with simple hairs on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
- the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
- Bract spines
- there is just one simple spine at the tip of the bract
- Bract texture
- the bracts appear leathery or hardened
- Bract tip color
- the tips are a different color from the center of the bract
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- there are no projections from the bract tips
- Bract tip orientation
- the tips of the bracts curve outwards and downwards from the plant
- Bract tip shape
- the tips of the bracts are truncate (end abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
- blue to purple
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
- Disk flower proportions
-
- 31-45%
- 46-75%
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is abruptly widened at some point below the lobes
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk
- Flower head platform
- the base has fine, short hairs on it
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head shape
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 25–40 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
- Ovary attachment
- the ovary is attached at or near the base
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
- there are no lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
-
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- in profile, the ovary is roughly egg-shaped, but widest above the middle
- Ovary surface
- the ovary surface has no points, bumps or wrinkles, though it may have lines, ribs or wings
- Peduncle length
- 10–60 mm
- Peduncle orientation
- the flower heads are held upright, or slightly angled outwards
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Rim at top of ovary
- the central flowers have a disk-shaped platform above the ovary
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts
- Width of flower head base
- 20–40 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 3–4.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs have smaller hairs along their sides
- Seed hair tuft length
- 20–30 mm
- Seed hairs uniform
- all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
- there are no stolons
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is biennial, it appears as either first year (non-reproductive) plants or second year plants with flowers or fruit
- Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade flatness
-
- the edges of the leaf are curled under
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 150–400 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 60–150 mm
- Leaf disposition
-
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are spines along the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- At least 0 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf tufts in axils
- there are no clusters of smaller leaves
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem has wings on it that run down the stem from the leaf nodes
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present, invasive
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Carduus lanceolatus L.
- Carduus vulgaris Savi
- Cirsium lanceolatum (L.) Scop.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
9. Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. E
common thistle. Carduus lanceolatus L.; C. vulgaris Savi; Cirsium lanceolatum (L.) Scop. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Fields, roadsides, clearings, edges of lawns.