Thistle is the common name of a group of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s characterised by
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in 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 Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. These prickles are an
adaptation
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
that protects the plant from being eaten by
herbivore
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...
s. Typically, an
involucre
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
with a clasping shape similar to a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle's
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 ...
.
The comparative amount of spininess varies dramatically by species. For example, ''
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 ...
'' has minimal spininess while ''
Cirsium spinosissimum'' is the opposite. Typically, species adapted to dry environments have greater spininess.
The term thistle is sometimes taken to mean precisely those plants in the tribe
Cardueae (synonym: Cynareae), especially the 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. '', ''
Cirsium'', and ''
Onopordum''.
However,
plants outside this tribe are sometimes called thistles.
Biennial thistles are particularly noteworthy for their high wildlife value, producing such things as copious floral resources for pollinators, nourishing seeds for birds like the goldfinch, foliage for butterfly larvae, and down for the lining of birds' nests.
A thistle is the
floral emblem of
Scotland and
Lorraine, as well as the emblem of the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica''.
Taxonomy
Genera 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 ...
with the word thistle often used in their common names include:
*''
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. '' – musk thistle and others
*''
Carduinae'' - burdock root
*''
Carlina
''Carlina'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is distributed from Madeira and the Canary Islands across Europe and northern Africa to Siberia and northwestern China.Kovanda, M. (2002)Observations on ''Carlina bieberstein ...
'' – carline thistle
*
''
Carthamus
The genus ''Carthamus'', the distaff thistles, includes plants in the family Asteraceae. The group is native to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The flower has been used since ancient times in the Philippines, which it has been called '' ...
'' – distaff thistle
*''
Centaurea'' – star thistle
*''
Cicerbita
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' – sow thistle
* ''
Cirsium'' – common thistle, field thistle and others
*''
Cnicus'' – blessed thistle
*''
Cynara
''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which mea ...
'' –
artichoke,
cardoon
The cardoon, ''Cynara cardunculus'' (), also called the artichoke thistle, is a thistle in the family Asteraceae. It is a naturally occurring species that also has many cultivated forms, including the globe artichoke. It is native to the wester ...
*''
Echinops
''Echinops'' is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are native to Europe, east to central As ...
'' – globe thistle
*''
Notobasis'' – Syrian thistle
*''
Onopordum'' – cotton thistle, also known as Scots or Scotch thistle
*''
Scolymus'' – golden thistle or oyster thistle
*''
Silybum'' – milk thistle
*''
Sonchus
''Sonchus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae and are commonly known as sow thistles (less commonly hare thistles or hare lettuces). Sowthistles are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, with or w ...
'' – sow thistle
Plants in families other than Asteraceae which are sometimes called thistle include:
*''
Kali'' – Russian thistle, Tartar thistle, or tumbleweed, plants formerly classified in the genus ''
Salsola'' (family
Chenopodiaceae)
*''
Argemone mexicana'' – flowering thistle, purple prickly poppy (family
Papaveraceae)
*''
Eryngium
''Eryngium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. There are about 250 species.Wang, P., et al. (2012)Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of ''Eryngium'' L. (Apiaceae). ''Pharmaceutical Crops'' 3 99-120. The ...
'' – certain species include the word thistle, such as
beethistle, ''E. articulatum'' (family
Apiaceae)
Ecology
Thistle flowers are the favourite nectar sources of the
pearl-bordered fritillary,
small pearl-bordered fritillary
''Boloria selene'', known in Europe as the small pearl-bordered fritillary and in North America as the silver-bordered fritillary, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found across Europe, Asia and North America, and feeds ...
,
high brown fritillary, and
dark green fritillary butterflies.
Thistles (and thistle-seed feeders) also provide important sustenance for
goldfinches and are strongly favored by many butterflies besides fritillaries such as the
monarch,
skippers, and the various types of
tiger swallowtail. Additionally, hummingbirds will feed on the flowers of the biennial species (which feature large flowers, as compared with the perennial Canada thistle).
Some thistles (for example ''
Cirsium vulgare'', native to Eurasia), have been widely introduced outside their native range. Control measures include ''Trichosirocalus''
weevil
Weevils are beetles belonging to the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and Herbivore, herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They b ...
s, but a problem with this approach, at least in North America, is that the introduced weevils may affect native thistles at least as much as the desired targets.
Thistles have been said to be very important nectar sources for pollinators. Some ecological organizations, such as the
Xerces Society, have attempted to raise awareness of their benefits, to counteract the general agricultural and home garden labeling of thistles as unwanted weeds. The monarch butterfly, ''
Danaus plexippus'' for instance, was highlighted as traditionally relying upon taller large-flowered thistle species such as Tall thistle, ''
Cirsium altissimum'', for its migration.
Although such organizations focus on the benefits of native thistles, certain 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. ''
Cirsium vulgare'' 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).
Uses
Maud Grieve
Maud Grieve in 1928
Sophie Emma Magdalene Grieve (née Law; 4 May 1858 – 21 December 1941) also known as Maud, Margaret, Maude or Mrs. Grieve, was the principal and founder of The Whins Medicinal and Commercial Herb School and Farm at Chalf ...
recorded that
Pliny and medieval writers had thought it could return hair to bald heads and that in the
early modern period it had been believed to be a remedy for headaches, plague, cancer sores, vertigo, and jaundice.
Cuisine
In
Portugal's Beira region, thistle flowers are used in
cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
making, as a source of
enzymes
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...
to coagulate the milk. "
Serra da Estrela" is not only the name of a mountain chain in this country, "
Serra da Estrela" is also the name of one of the most appreciated cheeses made from sheep's milk.
Economic significance
Thistles, even if one restricts the term to members of the Asteraceae, are too varied a group for generalisation; many are troublesome weeds, including some invasive species of ''Cirsium'', ''Carduus'', ''Silybum'' and ''Onopordum''.
Typical adverse effects are competition with crops and interference with grazing in pastures, where dense growths of spiny vegetation suppress forage plants and repel grazing animals from eating either the thistle plants or neighbouring forage. Some species, although not intensely poisonous, do affect the health of animals that swallow more than small amounts of the material.
[Watt, John Mitchell; Breyer-Brandwijk, Maria Gerdina: The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa 2nd ed Pub. E & S Livingstone 1962]
Conversely however, the genus ''Cynara'' includes commercially important species of
artichoke and some species regarded as major weeds are commercial sources of vegetable
rennet
Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...
used in commercial cheese making. Similarly, some species of ''
Silybum'' that occur as weeds also are cultivated for seeds that yield vegetable oil and pharmaceutical compounds such as
Silibinin.
Other thistles that nominally are weeds are important honey plants, both as bee fodder in general, and as sources of luxury
monofloral honey products.
Culture
Heraldry
Scottish thistle
According to
legend, an invading
Norse army was attempting to sneak up at night upon a Scottish army's encampment. During this operation one barefoot Norseman had the misfortune to step upon a thistle, causing him to cry out in pain, thus alerting Scots to the presence of the Norse invaders. Some sources suggest the specific occasion was the 1263
Battle of Largs
The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. Through it, Scotland achieved the end of 500 years of Norse Viking depredations and invasions despite bei ...
, which marked the beginning of the departure of King
Haakon IV (Haakon the Elder) of
Norway who, having control of the
Northern Isles and
Hebrides, had harried the coast of the
Kingdom of Scotland for some years.
The thistle has been the national emblem of
Scotland since the reign of
King Alexander III
Alexander III (Medieval ; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Scots from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. His ...
(1249–1286). It is found in many
Scottish symbols
The national symbols of Scotland are the objects, images or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Scotland or Scottish culture. As a rule, these national symbols are cultural icons that have emerg ...
and was used on
silver coins issued by
King James III
James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, James II of Scotland, King James II, at th ...
in 1474, the first coins to feature a thistle. In 1536, the
bawbee
A bawbee was a Scotland, Scottish sixpence. The word means a debased copper coin, valued at six pence Scots (equal at the time to an English half-penny), issued from the reign of James V of Scotland to the reign of William III of England, William ...
, a sixpence in the
pound Scots, was issued for the first time under
King James V; it showed a crowned thistle. Thistles continued to appear regularly on Scottish and later British coinage until 2008, when a
5p coin design showing "''The Badge of Scotland, a thistle royally crowned''" ceased to be minted, though it remains in circulation.
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, the highest and oldest
chivalric order of Scotland, has thistles on its insignia and a chapel in
St Giles's Kirk, Edinburgh, dubbed the
Thistle Chapel
The Thistle Chapel, located in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland, is the chapel of the Order of the Thistle.
At the foundation of the Order of the Thistle in 1687, James VII ordered Holyrood Abbey be fitted out as a chapel for the Knight ...
. The thistle is the main charge of the regimental badge of the
Scots Guards, the oldest regiment in the
British Army.
Both the Order of the Thistle and the Scots Guards use the motto ''
Nemo me impune lacessit
''Nemo me impune lacessit'' (''No one provokes me with impunity'') () was the Latin motto of the Royal Stuart dynasty of Scotland from at least the reign of James VI when it appeared on the reverse side of merk coins minted in 1578 and 1580. It ...
'', the motto of the
House of Stuart and referring to the thistle's prickly nature.
Pound coins with this motto and a thistle were minted in 1984, 1989, and 2014. The combination of thistle and motto first appeared on the bawbee issued by King Charles II. In 1826, the
grant of arms to the new
National Bank of Scotland stipulates that the shield be surrounded by thistles and "thistle" is used as
the name of several
Scottish football
Association football ( sco, fitbaa, gd, ball-coise) is one of the national sports of Scotland and the most popular sport in the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scot ...
clubs. Since 1960, a stylised thistle (also representing the Scottish
Saltire) has been the logo of the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
. Since 2013, a different stylised thistle, crowned with the Scottish crown, has been the emblem of
Police Scotland, and had long featured in the
arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
of seven of the eight pre-2013 Scottish police services and constabularies, the sole exception being the
Northern Constabulary. As part of the arms of the
University of Edinburgh, the thistle appears together with a saltire on one of the escutcheons of the
Mercat Cross in Edinburgh. The coat of arms and crest of
Nova Scotia ("''New Scotland''"), briefly Scotland's colony, have since the 17th century featured thistles.
Following his ascent to the English throne,
King James VI of Scotland & I of England used a
badge consisting of a
Tudor rose "
dimidiated" with a Scottish thistle and surmounted by a royal crown. As the floral emblem of Scotland it appears in the
Royal Arms of the United Kingdom
The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, or the royal arms for short, is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. These arms are used by the King in his official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Varia ...
thereafter, and was included in the heraldry of various
British institutions, such as the
Badge of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom alongside the Tudor rose, Northern Irish
flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
, and Welsh
leek
The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...
. This floral combination appears on the present issues of the one pound coin. Beside the Tudor rose and Irish
shamrock
A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of ...
the thistle appears on the badge of the
Yeomen of the Guard and the arms of the
Canada Company
The Canada Company was a private British land development company that was established to aid in the colonization of a large part of Upper Canada. It was incorporated by royal charter on August 19, 1826, under an act of the British parliament,, ...
. Issues of the historical
florin
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
showed the same flora, later including a leek. The thistle is also used to symbolise connection with Scotland overseas. For example, in Canada, it is one of the four floral emblems on the
flag of Montreal
First displayed in May 1935, Montreal based its flag on the city's coat of arms. It was revised in May 1939 and again in September 2017. The flag's proportions are 1:2 in a symmetric cross.
Symbolism
The flag consists of a red symmetric cros ...
; in the US,
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
features the thistle in its crest in honour of the Scottish heritage of its founder,
Andrew Carnegie, and
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
features the thistle in its flag and seal. The thistle is also the emblem of the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica'' (which originated in Edinburgh, Scotland) and
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (as the company was founded by two Scots).
Which species of thistle is referred to in the original legend is disputed. Popular modern usage favours cotton thistle (''
Onopordum acanthium
''Onopordum acanthium'' (cotton thistle, Scotch (or Scottish) thistle, not to be confused with ''Cirsium vulgare'' - spear thistle, which is also known as Scotch or Scottish thistle and is the national flower of Scotland. Spear thistle is nat ...
''), perhaps because of its more imposing appearance, though it is not native and unlikely to have occurred in Scotland in mediaeval times. The spear thistle (''
Cirsium vulgare''), an abundant native species in Scotland, is a more likely candidate. Other species, including dwarf thistle (''
Cirsium acaule''), musk thistle (''
Carduus nutans
''Carduus nutans'', with the common names musk thistle, nodding thistle, and nodding plumeless thistle, is a biennial plant in the daisy and sunflower family Asteraceae. It is native to regions of Eurasia.
Description
''Carduus nutans'' is usual ...
''), and 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 ...
'') have also been suggested.
Thistle of Lorraine
The thistle, and more precisely ''
Onopordum acanthium
''Onopordum acanthium'' (cotton thistle, Scotch (or Scottish) thistle, not to be confused with ''Cirsium vulgare'' - spear thistle, which is also known as Scotch or Scottish thistle and is the national flower of Scotland. Spear thistle is nat ...
'', is one of the symbols of
Lorraine, together with its coat of arms which displays three
avalerion
Avalerion or alerion is a term for a heraldic bird. Historically, it referred to the regular heraldic eagle. Later heralds used the term ''alerion'' to refer to "baby eagles" or "eaglets". To differentiate them from mature eagles, alerions were ...
s, and the
Cross of Lorraine.
Lorraine is a region located in northeastern France, along the border with
Luxembourg and
Germany. Before the
French Revolution, a large part of the region formed the
Duchy of Lorraine. In the
Middle Ages, the thistle was an emblem of the
Virgin Mary because its white sap would bring to mind the milk falling from the breast of the Mother of God. It was later adopted as a personal symbol by
René of Anjou, together with the Cross of Lorraine, then known as the Cross of Anjou. It seems through his book ''Livre du cuer d'amours espris'' that the Duke chose the thistle as his emblem not only because it was a Christian symbol, but also because he associated it with physical love.
The thistle and the cross were used again by his grandson,
René II, Duke of Lorraine
René II (2 May 1451 – 10 December 1508) was Count of Vaudémont from 1470, Duke of Lorraine from 1473, and Duke of Bar from 1483 to 1508. He claimed the crown of the Kingdom of Naples and the County of Provence as the Duke of Calabria 1480& ...
, who introduced them in the region. The two symbols became hugely popular among the local people during the
Battle of Nancy
The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought outside the walls of Nancy on 5 January 1477 by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, against René II, Duke of Lorraine, and the Swiss Confederacy.
René's ...
in 1477, during which the Lorrain army defeated
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
. The Duke's motto was "''Qui s'y frotte s'y pique''", meaning "who touches it, pricks oneself", with a similar idea to the Scottish motto "''
Nemo me impune lacessit
''Nemo me impune lacessit'' (''No one provokes me with impunity'') () was the Latin motto of the Royal Stuart dynasty of Scotland from at least the reign of James VI when it appeared on the reverse side of merk coins minted in 1578 and 1580. It ...
''". Nowadays the thistle is still the official symbol of the city of
Nancy, as well as the emblem of the
AS Nancy football team, and the
Lorraine Regional Natural Park.
Place names
''Carduus'' is the
Latin term for a thistle (hence
cardoon
The cardoon, ''Cynara cardunculus'' (), also called the artichoke thistle, is a thistle in the family Asteraceae. It is a naturally occurring species that also has many cultivated forms, including the globe artichoke. It is native to the wester ...
, ''chardon'' in French), and ''Cardonnacum'' is a Late Latin word for a place with thistles. This is believed to be the origin of name of the
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
village of
Chardonnay, Saône-et-Loire
Chardonnay is the commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.
The name is a derivative of ''Cardonnacum'', a Latin term to denote the land of Cardus, the owner of the land surrounding th ...
, which in turn is thought to be the home of the famous
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
grape variety.
References
External links
{{Authority control
Abortifacients
Asteraceae
National symbols of Scotland
Plant common names
Heraldic charges