Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cirsium arvense
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Canada Thistle at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cirsium arvense
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Cirsium arvense
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-25-013:
Carduus arvensis FAMILY Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cirsium arvense
COMMON NAME:
Canada Thistle, Field Thistle
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_ciar4_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_ciar4_009_lvd
)
USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_397
)
JK Marlow jkm060712_059
July Tazewell County VA
Roadside
Numerous small heads (0.5"-0.75") in a branched inflorescence, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm060712_060
July Tazewell County VA
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm060712_063
July Tazewell County VA
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm060712_066
July Tazewell County VA
Roadside
)
JK Marlow s060711_a
July Tazewell County VA
Roadside
)
Leslie Dietz, Bugwood.org bug_1929057
Month Unknown
)
Bruce Ackley, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org bug_5436742
Month Unknown
Lower leaf surfaces are green, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org bug_5447376
Month Unknown
)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org bug_5450403
Month Unknown
)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org bug_5451379
Month Unknown
Pappus tawny, plumose, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org bug_5515718
Month Unknown
Involucres are smooth or, at most, have minute prickles on outer bracts, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
COMPARE
involucral bracts of Thistles
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cirsium arvense
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cirsium arvense
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Cirsium arvense
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-25-013:
Carduus arvensis
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cirsium arvense
256
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Pastures, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Uncommon in NC Mountains, rare or waifs elsewhere in GA-NC-SC
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaf margins spiny
LEAVES:
Simple: Lobed, unlobed and/or dissected
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Disc: Purplish-pink
Rays: Absent
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p301
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p430
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p393
- Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: Northeastern US (Clemants & Gracie, 2006) p024
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p285
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p334
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p184
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".