Cirsium vulgare

Cirsium vulgare
	Plant in flower, Joure, Netherlands
	Seedhead
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Cirsium
Species:	C. vulgare
Binomial name
	Cirsium vulgare; (Savi) Ten.
Subspecies and varieties
	Cirsium vulgare subsp. crinitum (Boiss. ex DC.) Arènes; Cirsium vulgare var. litorale P.D.Sell; Cirsium vulgare subsp. silvaticum (Tausch) Arènes; Cirsium vulgare subsp. vulgare;
Synonyms
	Synonymy Ascalea lanceata Hill ; Ascalea lanceolata (L.) Hill ; Carduus divaricatus Gllib. ; Carduus firmus Steud. ; Carduus lanceolatus L. ; Carduus vulgaris Savi ; Chamaepeuce firma DC. ; Cirsium abyssinicum Sch.Bip. ex A.Rich. ; Cirsium auriculatum Camus ex Beleze ; Cirsium balearicum Willk. ; Cirsium britannicum Scop. ; Cirsium dubium Lojac. ; Cirsium firmum (C.Presl) Arcang. ; Cirsium fraternum DC. ; Cirsium lanceolatum (L.) Scop. ; Cirsium lanigerum Nägeli ; Cirsium leucanicum Lojac. ; Cirsium linkii Nyman ; Cirsium longespinosum Tod. ex Nyman ; Cirsium microcephalum Lange ; Cirsium mielichhoferi Saut. ; Cirsium misilmerense Ces., Pass. & Gibelli ; Cirsium nemorale Rchb. ; Cirsium spurium Delastre ; Cirsium strigosum (Hoffmanns. & Link) Cout. ; Cnicus firmus J.Presl & C.Presl ; Cnicus lanceolatus (L.) Willd. ; Cnicus misilmerensis Tineo ex Ces., Pass. & Gibelli ; Cnicus strigosus Hoffmanns. & Link ; Cynara lanceata Stokes ; Eriolepis lanceolata (L.) Cass. ; Lophiolepis dubia Cass. ; Cirsium atticum Sch.Bip. ex Nyman ; Cirsium balearicum (Willk.) Porta ; Cirsium crinitum Boiss. ex DC. ; Carduus nemoralis E.H.L.Krause ; Cirsium silvaticum Tausch ;

Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe (north to 66°N, locally 68°N), Western Asia (east to the Yenisei Valley), and northwestern Africa (Atlas Mountains).^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in several regions.^[7]^[8]^[9] It is the national flower of Scotland.

The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 10 for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative.^[10] Marsh thistle, Cirsium palustre, was ranked in first place while this thistle was ranked in sixth place. It also was a top producer of nectar sugar in another study in Britain, ranked third with a production per floral unit of (2300 ± 400 μg).^[11]

^ Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
^ The Plant List, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
^ Flora Europaea: Cirsium vulgare
^ Den Virtuella Floran: Cirsium vulgare (in Swedish, with maps)
^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo asinino, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
^ Flora of China, 翼蓟 yi ji, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore
^ Flora of North America, Bull or common or spear thistle, gros chardon, chardon vulgaire ou lancéolé, piqueux, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore
^ Atlas of Living Australia, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., Black Thistle
^ Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute, African Plant Database, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
^ "Which flowers are the best source of nectar?". Conservation Grade. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
^ Hicks, DM; Ouvrard, P; Baldock, KCR (2016). "Food for Pollinators: Quantifying the Nectar and Pollen Resources of Urban Flower Meadows". PLOS ONE. 11 (6): e0158117. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158117H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158117. PMC 4920406. PMID 27341588.

[powo-1] Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2 June 2024.

[2] The Plant List, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.

[FloraE-3] Flora Europaea: Cirsium vulgare

[4] Den Virtuella Floran: Cirsium vulgare (in Swedish, with maps)

[5] Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo asinino, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.

[6] Flora of China, 翼蓟 yi ji, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore

[7] Flora of North America, Bull or common or spear thistle, gros chardon, chardon vulgaire ou lancéolé, piqueux, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore

[8] Atlas of Living Australia, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., Black Thistle

[9] Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques & South African National Biodiversity Institute, African Plant Database, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.

[Pollinators-10] "Which flowers are the best source of nectar?". Conservation Grade. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2017.

[11] Hicks, DM; Ouvrard, P; Baldock, KCR (2016). "Food for Pollinators: Quantifying the Nectar and Pollen Resources of Urban Flower Meadows". PLOS ONE. 11 (6): e0158117. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158117H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158117. PMC 4920406. PMID 27341588.

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