1. Guides
  2. MVP
  3. Gewöhnliche Kratzdistel

Gewöhnliche Kratzdistel

Cirsium vulgare

Summary 10

Cirsium vulgare (Spear Thistle) is a species of the 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). It is also naturalised in North America and Australia and is as an invasive weed in some areas.

Description 11

It is a tall biennial or short-lived monocarpicthistle, forming a rosette of leaves and a taproot up to 70 cm long in the first year, and a flowering stem 1–1.5 m tall in the second (rarely third or fourth) year. The stem is winged, with numerous longitudinal spine-tipped wings along its full length. The leaves are stoutly spined, grey-green, deeply lobed; the basal leaves up to 15–25 cm long, with smaller leaves on the upper part of the flower stem; the leaf lobes are spear-shaped (from which the English name derives). The inflorescence is 2.5–5 cm diameter, pink-purple, with all the florets of similar form (no division into disc and ray florets). The seeds are 5 mm long, with a downy pappus, which assists in wind dispersal. As in other species of Cirsium (but unlike species in the related genus Carduus), the pappus hairs are feathery with fine side hairs.

<i>Cirsium vulgare</i> as a weed 11

Spear thistle is designated an "injurious weed" under the UK Weeds Act 1959, and a noxious weed in Australia and in nine US states. Spread is only by seed, not by root fragments as in the related creeping thistleC. arvense. It is best cleared from land by hoeing and deep cutting of the taproot before seeds mature; regular cultivation also prevents its establishment.

Ecology 11

Spear thistle is often a ruderal species, colonising bare disturbed ground, but also persists well on heavily grazed land as it is unpalatable to most grazing animals. The flowers are a rich nectar source used by numerous pollinating insects, including honey bees, wool-carder bees, and many butterflies. The seeds are eaten by goldfinches, linnets and greenfinches. The seeds are dispersed by wind, mud, water, and possibly also by ants; they do not show significant long-term dormancy, most germinating soon after dispersal and only a few lasting up to four years in the soil seed bank. Seed is also often spread by human activity such as hay bales.

Spear thistle is designated an "injurious weed" under the UK Weeds Act 1959, and a noxious weed in Australia and in nine US states. Spread is only by seed, not by root fragments as in the related creeping thistleC. arvense. It is best cleared from land by hoeing and deep cutting of the taproot before seeds mature; regular cultivation also prevents its establishment.

Summary 11

Cirsium vulgare (spear thistle) is a species of the 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). It is also naturalised in North America and Australia and is as an invasive weed in some areas. It is the national flower of Scotland.

Associations 12

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Acanthiophilus helianthi feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: Other: uncertain

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Apion carduorum feeds within stem? of Cirsium vulgare
Other: major host/prey

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Bremia lactucae parasitises live Cirsium vulgare
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Chaetostomella cylindrica feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: Other: uncertain

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Cheilosia grossa feeds within root (after stem) of multi-stemmed plant of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 6-7

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Ensina sonchi feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe mayorii parasitises Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / parasite
Golovinomyces cichoracearum parasitises live Cirsium vulgare
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Larinus planus feeds on Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / open feeder
larva of Lema cyanella grazes on windowed leaf (upper surface) of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pseudothecium of Leptosphaeria macrospora is saprobic on dead stem of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 4-6

Foodplant / saprobe
partly immersed pseudothecium of Leptosphaeria purpurea is saprobic on dead stem of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 6-7

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pseudothecium of Nodulosphaeria dolioloides is saprobic on dead stem of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pseudothecium of Ophiobolus acuminatus is saprobic on dead stem of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 3-6
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pycnidium of Phoma coelomycetous anamorph of Phoma rubella is saprobic on dead, red stained (epidermis) stem of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 4-5

Plant / resting place / within
puparium of Phytomyza autumnalis may be found in leaf-mine of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / parasite
amphigenous telium of Puccinia cnici parasitises live leaf of Cirsium vulgare
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
amphigenous telium of Puccinia cnici-oleracei parasitises live leaf of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 7-11
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Ramularia cynarae causes spots on live leaf of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Rhinocyllus conicus feeds on Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Tephritis cometa feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Tephritis conura feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: Other: uncertain

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Terellia serratulae feeds on Cirsium vulgare

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Terellia tussilaginis feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / sap sucker
adult of Tingis cardui sucks sap of involucre of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: 8-7

Foodplant / gall
larva of Urophora stylata causes gall of receptacle of Cirsium vulgare
Remarks: season: -9
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Xyphosia miliaria feeds within capitulum of Cirsium vulgare

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Joe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird4/287734633/
  2. (c) Monteregina (Nicole), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/monteregina/15469275332/
  3. (c) Fotorus, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotorus/14215206713/
  4. (c) Sciadopitys, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/40183553@N02/5909026723/
  5. (c) John Poulakis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/37226114@N02/3703684857
  6. (c) the weed one, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_weed_one/7499382080/
  7. (c) Harry Rose, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/macleaygrassman/12400920765/
  8. (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/4995176740/
  9. (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/4995177102/
  10. Adapted by Bea Steinemann from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_vulgare
  11. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_vulgare
  12. (c) BioImages, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22909150

More Info

iNat Map

Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers