Cirsium vulgare

"Bull thistle" redirects here. The term may also refer to Cirsium horridulum.

Cirsium vulgare
Plant in flower, Joure, Netherlands
Photograph of mature seed head, showing fluffy pappi
Seedhead
Scientific classification Edit this 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]
  • Cirsium vulgare subsp. crinitum (Boiss. ex DC.) Arènes
  • Cirsium vulgare var. litorale P.D.Sell
  • Cirsium vulgare subsp. silvaticum (Tausch) Arènes
  • Cirsium vulgare subsp. vulgare
Synonyms[2]
Synonymy
  • Ascalea lanceata Hill
  • Ascalea lanceolata (L.) Hill
  • Carduus divaricatus Gllib.
  • Carduus firmus Steud.
  • Carduus lanceolatus L.
  • Carduus vulgaris Savi
  • Chamaepeuce firma DC.
  • Cirsium abyssinicum Sch.Bip. ex A.Rich.
  • Cirsium auriculatum Camus ex Beleze
  • Cirsium balearicum Willk.
  • Cirsium britannicum Scop.
  • Cirsium dubium Lojac.
  • Cirsium firmum (C.Presl) Arcang.
  • Cirsium fraternum DC.
  • Cirsium lanceolatum (L.) Scop.
  • Cirsium lanigerum Nägeli
  • Cirsium leucanicum Lojac.
  • Cirsium linkii Nyman
  • Cirsium longespinosum Tod. ex Nyman
  • Cirsium microcephalum Lange
  • Cirsium mielichhoferi Saut.
  • Cirsium misilmerense Ces., Pass. & Gibelli
  • Cirsium nemorale Rchb.
  • Cirsium spurium Delastre
  • Cirsium strigosum (Hoffmanns. & Link) Cout.
  • Cnicus firmus J.Presl & C.Presl
  • Cnicus lanceolatus (L.) Willd.
  • Cnicus misilmerensis Tineo ex Ces., Pass. & Gibelli
  • Cnicus strigosus Hoffmanns. & Link
  • Cynara lanceata Stokes
  • Eriolepis lanceolata (L.) Cass.
  • Lophiolepis dubia Cass.
  • Cirsium atticum Sch.Bip. ex Nyman
  • Cirsium balearicum (Willk.) Porta
  • Cirsium crinitum Boiss. ex DC.
  • Carduus nemoralis E.H.L.Krause
  • Cirsium silvaticum Tausch

Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe (north to 66°N, locally 68°N), Western Asia (east to the Yenisei Valley), and northwestern Africa (Atlas Mountains).[3][4][5][6] It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in several regions.[7][8][9] It is the national flower of Scotland.

The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 10 for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in a UK plants 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]

  1. ^ Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  2. ^ The Plant List, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
  3. ^ Flora Europaea: Cirsium vulgare
  4. ^ Den Virtuella Floran: Cirsium vulgare (in Swedish, with maps)
  5. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo asinino, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
  6. ^ Flora of China, 翼蓟 yi ji, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore
  7. ^ Flora of North America, Bull or common or spear thistle, gros chardon, chardon vulgaire ou lancéolé, piqueux, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore
  8. ^ Atlas of Living Australia, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., Black Thistle
  9. ^ Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute, African Plant Database, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
  10. ^ "Which flowers are the best source of nectar?". Conservation Grade. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  11. ^ 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. PMC 4920406. PMID 27341588.