Thistle

Thistle
Missing image Thistles-2.jpg Thistle Thistle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Subfamily: Lactucoideae Tribe: Cardueae Genus: Cirsium
Species
See text

Thistles are perennial flowering plants of the genus Cirsium.

They are known for their effusive flowered heads (usually purple, rose, yellow, or white). The radially symmetrical disk flowers are situated at the end of the branches. They have erect, prickly stems and leaves, with a characteristic focal point at the base of the flower which is particularly spiny. The leaves are alternate and can be slightly hairy; Their stem wings can be lacking (Cirsium arvensis), conspicuous (Cirsium vulgare), or inconspicuous. They can spread by seed and rhizome (Cirsium arvensis) or by seed alone. Their seed has tiny tufts of hair, which can carry them far by wind.

Thistles are sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Hummingbird hawk moth.

Most species are considered weeds, but some are cultivated in gardens for their aesthetic value, and blessed thistle is believed to be a galactagogue. Some common species: Cirsium lanceolatum, Cirsium palustre, Cirsium oleraceum.

Thistle is also a common name for several other genera within Asteraceae, or species within them:

• Arctium – Burdock
• Carduus – Plumeless thistle
• Carlina – Carline thistle
• Cynara – Artichokes
• Echinops – Globethistle
• Onopordum – Cotton thistle
• Silybum – Milk thistle

The thistle is the national flower of Scotland, and features in many Scottish symbols and logos.

The word 'Cirsium' derives from the Greek word kirsos, meaning 'swollen vein'. Thistles were used as a remedy against swollen veins.

Species

• Cirsium acarna : Soldier Thistle
• Cirsium acaule : Stemless Thistle, Dwarf Thistle
• Cirsium altissimum : Roadside Thistle, Tall Thistle
• Cirsium amblylepis : Mt. Tamalpais Thistle
• Cirsium andersonii : Anderson's Thistle, Rose Thistle
• Cirsium andrewsii : : Franciscan Thistle
• Cirsium araneans  : Jeweled Thistle
• Cirsium arcuum : : Powderpuff Thistle
• Cirsium aridum : Desert Thistle
• Cirsium arizonicum : Arizona Thistle

• Cirsium arvense : Creeping Thistle, Field Thistle, Californian Thistle, Canada Thistle, Canadian Thistle
  • Cirsium arvense var.argenteum
  • Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium : Canada Thistle, Field Thistle, Cursed Thistle, Small-flowered Thistle, Perennial Thistle, Hard Thistle
  • Cirsium arvense var. mite
  • Cirsium arvense var. vestitum : Canada Thistle, Field Thistle, Cursed Thistle, Small-flowered Thistle, Perennial Thistle, Hard Thistle
    • Creeping Thistle is used as a food plant by The Engrailed, a species of moth.
• Cirsium barnebyi : : Barneby's Thistle
• Cirsium brachycephalum
• Cirsium brevifolium : Palouse Thistle
• Cirsium brevistylum : Clustered Thistle
• Cirsium calcareum : Cainville Thistle
  • Cirsium californicum var. californicum : California Thistle
  • Cirsium callilepis var. callilepis : Fringebract Thistle
• Cirsium X canalense : Canal 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 ciliolatum : 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 crassicaule : Slough Thistle
• Cirsium X crassum : Thistle
• Cirsium cymosum : Peregrine Thistle
• Cirsium discolor : Field Thistle, Pasture Thistle
• Cirsium douglasii : Thistle
• Cirsium drummondii : Dwarf Thistle
• Cirsium durangense
• Cirsium eatonii : Eaton's Thistle
  • Cirsium eatonii var. eatonii : Eaton's Thistle
• Cirsium edule : Edible Thistle
• Cirsium engelmannii : Engelmann Thistle, Engelmann's Thistle
• Cirsium eriophorum : Woolly Thistle
• Cirsium erisithales : Yellow Melancholy Thistle
• Cirsium X erosum : Glory Thistle
• Cirsium esculentum
• Cirsium flodmanii : Flodman Thistle, Flodman's Thistle
• Cirsium foliosum : Drummond's Thistle, Elk Thistle, Leafy Thistle, Meadow Thistle
• Cirsium fontinale : 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 heterophyllum : Melancholy Thistle
• Cirsium hillii : Hill's Thistle
• Cirsium hookerianum : White Thistle
• Cirsium horridulum : Yellow Thistle
• Cirsium humboldtense : Humboldt County Thistle
• Cirsium hydrophilum : Suisun Thistle
• Cirsium hypoleucum
• Cirsium inornatum : Cloudcroft Thistle
• Cirsium X iowense : Iowa Thistle
• Cirsium japonicum : Japanese Thistle
• Cirsium kamtschaticum : Kamchatka Thistle
• Cirsium lanatum : Hairy Thistle

• Cirsium lanceolatum = Cirsium arvense
• Cirsium laterifolium: Porcupine Thistle
• Cirsium lecontei : Le Conte's Thistle
• Cirsium leo
• Cirsium libanoticum
• Cirsium loncholepis : LaGgraciosa Thistle
• Cirsium longistylum : Longstyle Thistle
• Cirsium maritimum
• Cirsium mendocinum : Mendocino Thistle
• Cirsium mexicanum : Mexican Thistle
• Cirsium modestum : Cockerell : lacy Thistle
• Cirsium mohavense : Mojave Thistle
• Cirsium murdockii : Murdock's Thistle
• Cirsium muticum : Swamp Thistle
• Cirsium navajoense : Navajo Thistle
• Cirsium neomexicanum : Lavender Thistle, New Mexico Thistle
• Cirsium nipponicum
• Cirsium nuttallii : Nuttall's Thistle
• Cirsium occidentale :Cobweb Thistle
• Cirsium ochrocentrum : Yellowspine Thistle
• Cirsium oleraceum : 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 palustre : Marsh thistle, European Swamp Thistle
• Cirsium parryi : 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 pulcherrimum : Wyoming Thistle
• Cirsium pumilum : Pasture Thistle
• Cirsium pyrenaicum
• Cirsium quercetorum : Alameda County Thistle
• Cirsium remotifolium : Fewleaf Thistle
  • Cirsium remotifolium var. remotifolium : Fewleaf Thistle
• Cirsium repandum : Sandhill Thistle
• Cirsium rhaphilepis
• Cirsium rhothophilum : 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 scariosum : Meadow Thistle
• Cirsium scopulorum : Mountain Thistle
• Cirsium segetum
• Cirsium serrulatum
• Cirsium spinosissimum
• Cirsium subniveum : Gray Thistle, Jackson Hole Thistle
• Cirsium tanakae
• Cirsium texanum : Texas Thistle
• Cirsium tioganum : Stemless Thistle
• Cirsium turneri : Cliff Thistle
• Cirsium undulatum : 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 X vancouverense : Vancouver Thistle
• Cirsium vernale : Spring Thistle
• Cirsium vinaceum : Sacramento Mountain Thistle, Sacramento Mountains Thistle
• Cirsium virginense : Virgin Thistle
• Cirsium virginianum : Virginia Thistle
• Cirsium vulgare : Spear Thistle, Bull Thistle, Common Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Fuller's Thistle.
• Cirsium wheeleri : Wheeler Thistle, Wheeler's Thistle
• Cirsium wrightii : Wright Thistle, Wright's Thistle

The "guardian thistle" is the national flower of Scotland. Legend has it that a Danish attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish castle.

See also: Thistle