''Cirsium'' is a genus of
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
and
biennial flowering plants in the
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
, one of several genera known commonly as
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 can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...
s. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''
Carduus
''Carduus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, and the tribe Cardueae, one of two genera considered to be true thistles, the other being ''Cirsium''. Plants of the genus are known commonly as plumeless thistles. '', ''
Silybum'' and ''
Onopordum
''Onopordum'', or cottonthistle, is a genus of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. They are native to southern Europe, northern Africa, the Canary Islands, the Caucasus, and southwest and central Asia. They grow on disturb ...
'') in having feathered hairs to their
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
s. The other genera have a
pappus of simple unbranched hairs.
They are mostly native to
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
and northern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, 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
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
, usually purple, rose or pink, also yellow or white. The radially symmetrical
disc flowers are at the end of the branches and are visited by many kinds of insects, featuring a generalised
pollination syndrome. They have erect stems and prickly leaves, with a characteristic enlarged base of the flower which is commonly spiny. The leaves are
alternate
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
, 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
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
, and also by
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
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
A larva (; plural larvae ) 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.
The ...
e of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species—see
list of Lepidoptera that feed on Cirsium
''Cirsium'' thistle species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including:
* Coleophoridae
** Several ''Coleophora'' case-bearer species:
*** '' C. paripennella''
*** '' C. peribenanderi'' – recorded on cree ...
. The seeds are attractive to small finches such as
American goldfinch.
Most species are considered
weeds, typically by agricultural interests. ''
Cirsium vulgare'' (bull thistle, common thistle, or spear thistle) is listed as a noxious weed in nine US states.
Some species in particular are cultivated in gardens and wildflower plantings for their aesthetic value and/or to support pollinators such as butterflies. Some species dubbed weeds by various interest groups can also provide these benefits. ''
Cirsium vulgare'', for instance, ranked in the top 10 for nectar production in a
UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative. Bull thistle was also a top producer of nectar sugar in another study in Britain, ranked third with a production per floral unit of (2323 ± 418μg). Not only does it provide abundant nectar, it provides seeds and floss for birds, such as the American goldfinch, ''
Spinus tristis
The American goldfinch (''Spinus tristis'') is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to ...
'', and supports the larvae of a Painted Lady butterfly, ''
Vanessa cardui''.
A great many native North American plants have weed in their common names, despite their beneficial qualities, such as ''
Asclepias tuberosa
''Asclepias tuberosa'', commonly known as butterfly weed, is a species of milkweed native to eastern and southwestern North America. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color a ...
'', commonly known as butterflyweed. Some other common species are: ''
Cirsium lanceolatum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
,
Cirsium palustre
''Cirsium palustre'', the marsh thistle or European swamp thistle, is a herbaceous biennial (or often perennial) flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
''Cirsium palustre'' is a tall thistle which reaches up to in height. The strong stems ha ...
,
Cirsium oleraceum
''Cirsium oleraceum'', the cabbage thistle or Siberian thistle, is a species of thistle in the genus ''Cirsium
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistl ...
''.
Some ecological organizations, such as the
Xerces Society
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (Xerces Society) is a non-profit environmental organization that focuses on the conservation of invertebrates considered to be essential to biological diversity and ecosystem health. It is named ...
, have attempted to raise awareness of the benefits of thistles, to counteract the general agricultural and home garden labeling of thistles as unwanted weeds. The monarch butterfly (''
Danaus plexippus''), for instance, was highlighted as relying upon thistles such as Tall thistle (''
Cirsium altissimum'') as nectar sources during its migration. Although such organizations focus on the benefits of native thistles, non-native thistles, such as ''
Cirsium vulgare'' in North America, may provide similar benefits to wildlife. Some prairie and wildflower seed production companies supply bulk seed for native North American thistle species, for wildlife habitat restoration, although availability tends to be low. Thistles are particularly valued by bumblebees for their high nectar production.
Certain species of ''Cirsium'', like ''
Cirsium monspessulanum'', ''
Cirsium pyrenaicum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''Carduus'', ''Silybu ...
'' and ''
Cirsium vulgare'', have been traditionally used as food in rural areas of southern Europe. ''
Cirsium oleraceum
''Cirsium oleraceum'', the cabbage thistle or Siberian thistle, is a species of thistle in the genus ''Cirsium
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistl ...
'' is cultivated as a food source in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. ''
Cirsium setidens
''Cirsium setidens'', also known as gondre and Korean thistle, is a perennial plant in the genus ''Cirsium'' in the family Asteraceae. It grows naturally in submontane and mountainous area in Korean peninsula where its young leaves are used as n ...
'' is used as a vegetable in
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
.
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 acaule
''Cirsium acaule'' or ''acaulon'' has the English name dwarf thistle or stemless thistle. It is widespread across much of Europe. '' – 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 arizonicum'' – Arizona thistle
*''
Cirsium arvense'' – 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 brevistylum'' – clustered thistle
*''
Cirsium calcareum'' – Cainville thistle
*''
Cirsium californicum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
'' – 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 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 cymosum'' – peregrine thistle
*''
Cirsium diacanthum''
*''
Cirsium discolor'' – field thistle, pasture thistle
*''
Cirsium dissectum
''Cirsium dissectum'', also known as meadow thistle, is an erect perennial herb. It is found in England, Wales, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Norway, etc. It is found in fens and less acidic peat bogs i.e. it ...
'' – meadow thistle
*''
Cirsium douglasii''
*''
Cirsium drummondii'' – dwarf thistle
*''
Cirsium durangense''
*''
Cirsium eatonii'' – Eaton's thistle
*''
Cirsium edule'' – edible thistle
*''
Cirsium engelmannii'' – Engelmann thistle, Engelmann's thistle
*''
Cirsium eriophorum
''Cirsium eriophorum'', the woolly thistle, is a herbaceous biennial species of flowering plant in the genus ''Cirsium'' of the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of Europe. It is a large biennial plant with sharp spines on the tips ...
'' – 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 fontinale'' – fountain thistle
*''
Cirsium funkiae'' – funky thistle
*''
Cirsium gilense'' – Gila thistle
*''
Cirsium grahamii'' – Graham's thistle
*''
Cirsium griseum
''Cirsium clavatum'', the Fish Lake thistle or fringed thistle, is a North American species of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. The species is native to the western United States, the States of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, ...
'' – gray thistle
*''
Cirsium hallii'' – Hall's thistle
*''
Cirsium helenioides'' – melancholy thistle, common melancholy thistle
*''
Cirsium heterophyllum
''Cirsium heterophyllum'', the melancholy thistle, is an erect spineless herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia, where it grows in upland meadows, grasslands, road verges and open ...
'' – melancholy thistle
*''
Cirsium hillii
''Cirsium pumilum'' var. ''hillii'' is a type of thistle endemic to North America. The common name for this plant is Hill's thistle.
Description
Hill's thistle is a low-growing thistle usually reaching in height, with a taproot system that ru ...
'' – Hill's thistle
*''
Cirsium hookerianum'' – white thistle
*''
Cirsium horridulum
''Cirsium horridulum'', called bristly thistle, horrid thistle, yellow thistle or bull thistle, is a North American species of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. It is an annual or biennial. The species is native to the ...
'' – yellow thistle
*''
Cirsium humboldtense'' – Humboldt County thistle
*''
Cirsium hydrophilum
''Cirsium 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
''Cirs ...
'' – Suisun thistle
*''
Cirsium hypoleucum''
*''
Cirsium inornatum'' – Cloudcroft thistle
*''
Cirsium jaliscoense'' –
G.L.Nesom
Guy L. Nesom (born August 2, 1945)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 2 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American writer and botanist.
Nesom received his Ph.D. in systematic botany from the University of North Carolina in 19 ...
*''
Cirsium japonicum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
'' – Japanese thistle
*''
Cirsium kamtschaticum'' – Kamchatka thistle
*''
Cirsium kawakamii'' – Yushan thistle
*''
Cirsium lanatum'' – hairy thistle
*''
Cirsium lanceolatum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
''
*''
Cirsium laterifolium
''Cirsium clavatum'', the Fish Lake thistle or fringed thistle, is a North American species of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. The species is native to the western United States, the States of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, ...
'' – porcupine thistle
*''
Cirsium lecontei'' – Le Conte's thistle
*''
Cirsium leo
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
''
*''
Cirsium libanoticum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''Carduus'', ''Silybu ...
''
*''
Cirsium loncholepis'' – LaGraciosa thistle
*''
Cirsium longistylum'' – longstyle thistle
*''
Cirsium maritimum''
*''
Cirsium mendocinum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
'' – Mendocino thistle
*''
Cirsium mexicanum'' – Mexican thistle
*''
Cirsium modestum'' – lacy thistle
*''
Cirsium mohavense
''Cirsium mohavense'' is a species of thistle known by the common names virgin thistle and 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 mos ...
'' – Mojave thistle
*''
Cirsium murdockii'' – Murdock's thistle
*''
Cirsium muticum
''Cirsium muticum'', also known as swamp thistle, marsh thistle, dunce-nettle, or horsetops, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae, native to central and eastern Canada and the central and eastern United States.
Descri ...
'' – swamp thistle
*''
Cirsium navajoense'' – Navajo thistle
*''
Cirsium neomexicanum'' – lavender thistle, New Mexico thistle, powderpuff thistle
*''
Cirsium nipponicum''
*''
Cirsium nuttallii'' – Nuttall's thistle
*''
Cirsium occidentale'' – cobweb thistle
*''
Cirsium ochrocentrum'' – yellowspine thistle
*''
Cirsium oleraceum
''Cirsium oleraceum'', the cabbage thistle or Siberian thistle, is a species of thistle in the genus ''Cirsium
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistl ...
'' – 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
''Cirsium palustre'', the marsh thistle or European swamp thistle, is a herbaceous biennial (or often perennial) flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
''Cirsium palustre'' is a tall thistle which reaches up to in height. The strong stems ha ...
'' – marsh thistle, European swamp thistle
*''
Cirsium parryi'' – Parry's thistle
*''
Cirsium pastoris
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''Carduus'', '' Sily ...
'' – snowy thistle
*''
Cirsium peckii
''Cirsium peckii'', the Steens Mountain thistle, is a very spiny and prickly perennial plant in the family Asteraceae that grows in the Great Basin of the western United States.Great Basin Wildflowers, Laird R. Blackwell, 2006, Morris Book Publ ...
'' – Steens Mountain thistle
*''
Cirsium pendulum''
*''
Cirsium perplexans
''Cirsium perplexans'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Rocky Mountain thistle and Adobe Hills thistle. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it occurs in the Colorado and Gunniso ...
'' – 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'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''Carduus'', ''Silybu ...
''
*''
Cirsium quercetorum'' – Alameda County thistle
*''
Cirsium remotifolium'' – fewleaf thistle
**''Cirsium remotifolium'' var. ''remotifolium'' – fewleaf thistle
*''
Cirsium repandum'' – sandhill thistle
*''
Cirsium rhaphilepis
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera ('' Carduus'', ''Silyb ...
''
*''
Cirsium rhinoceros'' – Korean prickly thistle
*''
Cirsium rhothophilum'' – surf thistle
*''
Cirsium rivulare''
*''
Cirsium rothrockii'' – Rothrock's thistle
*''
Cirsium rusbyi
''Cirsium mohavense'' is a species of thistle known by the common names virgin thistle and 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 mos ...
'' – Rusby's thistle
*''
Cirsium rydbergii'' – Rydberg's thistle
*''
Cirsium scabrum'' – rough thistle
*''
Cirsium scapanolepis'' – mountain slope thistle
*''
Cirsium scariosum
''Cirsium scariosum'' is a species of thistle known by the common names meadow thistle, elk thistle and dwarf thistle. It is native to much of western North America from Alberta and British Columbia, south to Baja California. There are also isola ...
'' – meadow thistle
*''
Cirsium scopulorum'' – mountain thistle
*''
Cirsium segetum''
*''
Cirsium serrulatum
''Cirsium'' is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more precisely known as plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera (''Carduus'', ''Silybu ...
''
*''
Cirsium setidens
''Cirsium setidens'', also known as gondre and Korean thistle, is a perennial plant in the genus ''Cirsium'' in the family Asteraceae. It grows naturally in submontane and mountainous area in Korean peninsula where its young leaves are used as n ...
'' – gondre or Korean thistle
*''
Cirsium spinosissimum
''Cirsium spinosissimum'', common name spiniest thistle, is a European species of thistle which grows in dry rocky areas. It is found in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Balkans.
The plant is between tall. Leaves, stems, an ...
''
*''
Cirsium subniveum'' – gray thistle, Jackson Hole thistle
*''
Cirsium tanakae''
*''
Cirsium texanum'' – Texas thistle
*''
Cirsium tioganum'' – stemless thistle
*''
Cirsium tuberosum
''Cirsium tuberosum'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Aster ...
'' – tuberous thistle – similar to ''
Cirsium dissectum
''Cirsium dissectum'', also known as meadow thistle, is an erect perennial herb. It is found in England, Wales, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Norway, etc. It is found in fens and less acidic peat bogs i.e. it ...
'' (meadow thistle)
*''
Cirsium turneri'' – cliff thistle
*''
Cirsium undulatum
''Cirsium 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 British Columbia east to Manitoba and south as far as the State of Durango i ...
'' – 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 vinaceum'' – Sacramento Mountain thistle, Sacramento Mountains thistle
*''
Cirsium virginense'' – virgin thistle
*''
Cirsium virginianum'' – Virginia thistle
*''
Cirsium vulgare'' – bull thistle, spear thistle, common thistle, Fuller's thistle (
syn.
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...
''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
Image gallery
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1638558
Asteraceae genera
Taxa named by Philip Miller