Cirsium vulgare
Spear Thistle at Hughes, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Cirsium vulgare | MichaelMulvaney | 27 May 2019 | |
| Cirsium vulgare | BettyDonWood | 27 May 2019 | |
| Onopordum acanthium | MichaelMulvaney | 27 May 2019 | |
| Onopordum acanthium | ruthkerruish | 27 May 2019 |
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User's notes
Several large patches of thistles in various stages of decay.
4 comments
28 May 2019
Unfortunately both Plantnet and Vicflora separate Onopordum from all the rest of the thistles on the basis that the top of the receptacle at the base if the florests is smooth, while in the other thistles it has bristles or scales. Not a character most people think to look at.
Cirsium vulgare flower heads are 12-50 mm wide, while those of Onopordum acanthium are 35-50 mm wide. The leaves of Onopordum acanthium are grey-green, the upper surface sparsely woolly. The leaves of Cirsium vulare are dark green and covered with small prickles. The stems of Cirsiu,m vulgare are cobwebby, while those of Onopordum acanthium are woolly or densely cobwebby, with wings about 10 mm wide. Neither Plantnet nor Vicflora mention any branching of the stems, which suggest that they do not branch.
Looking at what I can see of these characters in the photos, I am inclined to agree with Mike.
Cirsium vulgare flower heads are 12-50 mm wide, while those of Onopordum acanthium are 35-50 mm wide. The leaves of Onopordum acanthium are grey-green, the upper surface sparsely woolly. The leaves of Cirsium vulare are dark green and covered with small prickles. The stems of Cirsiu,m vulgare are cobwebby, while those of Onopordum acanthium are woolly or densely cobwebby, with wings about 10 mm wide. Neither Plantnet nor Vicflora mention any branching of the stems, which suggest that they do not branch.
Looking at what I can see of these characters in the photos, I am inclined to agree with Mike.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.092444-35.327906
- Maps Hughes Grassy Woodland Red Hill to Yarralumla Creek
- Places Hughes, ACT
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 15 May 2019 10:00 AM Recorded on
- ruthkerruish Recorded by
- Yes In flower
- 30cm to 1 metre Plant height
Collections
Species information
- Cirsium vulgare Scientific name
- Spear Thistle Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Exotic
- Medium weed or pest
- Up to 1576.4m Recorded at altitude
Seasonal activity
-
In flower
JFMAMJJASOND
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Description
- Additional attributes
- GPS evidence of location