Cirsium dissectum

Cirsium dissectum, also known as meadow thistle,[2] 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 prefers damp boggy areas.[1][3]

Cirsium dissectum
Cirsium dissectum (Meadow thistle)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Cirsium
Species:
C. dissectum
Binomial name
Cirsium dissectum
(L.) Hill
Synonyms[1]
  • Carduus anglicus Lam.
  • Carduus dissectus L.
  • Carduus pratensis Huds.
  • Cirsium anglicum (Lam.) DC.
  • Cirsium tuberosum subsp. anglicum (Lam.) Braun-Blanq.
  • Cnicus pratensis (Huds.) Willd.

Description

Cirsium dissectum grows 15 to 50 cm tall. It resembles a more slender version of Cirsium heterophyllum in having a grooved cottony stem and lanceolate shaped leaves, that have prickles and not spines. However the leaves are narrower (under 3 cm), less hairy underneath, and hairy on top.[4]

The flower heads are 2 to 3 cm long, the florets being dark red/purple, flowering from June until August.[4]

The plant has runners.[4]

Similar species

Cirsium tuberosum or tuberous thistle, has tuberous roots rather than runners, and the leaves are twice pinnated. It is found in Calcareous grasslands but very rare. It has been recorded in Britain in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Glamorgan, and Wiltshire.[4]

It flowers from June until July.[4]

References
  1. Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo sbrandellato, Cirsium dissectum (L.) Hill
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. pp. 382–383. ISBN 0-7232-2419-6.
  4. Wildflowers of the British Isles
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