Cirsium vulgare

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.