Taprooted biennial. Stems erect, often branched, 30–120 cm. Herbage green, spreading-hirsute to sparsely arachnoid. Leaves short-petiolate; blades lanceolate to obovate, 5–30 cm long, deeply pinnately lobed with prominent whitish veins beneath. Inflorescence heads mostly solitary at stem tips, forming open corymbiform arrays; peduncles 1–8 cm long. Involucres campanulate, 25–40 mm high, sparsely arachnoid; phyllaries imbricate in 10 to 12 series, green, linear-lanceolate; outer keeled but not resinous with an erect or spreading spine-tip 2–10 mm long; inner linear, acuminate. Disk corollas purple, 2–3 cm long. Achenes 3–5 mm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
On first-glance thistles can look similar, but upon a closer inspection differences become apparent.
Thistles belong to the genera of
Cirsium,
Carduus, and
Onopordum, which all have spiny-margined leaves and often have flower heads with spiny bracts. Ecologically, native and non-native thistles are very different.
NATIVE versus NON-NATIVE THISTLES [
Parkinson and Mangold 2015]
Native Thistles* Grow relatively sparsely and possess few or gentler spines, intermix with many plant species, and are slow to colonize disturbed ground.
* Flowers provide nectar and pollen for numerous native birds and insects, and forage for some wildlife. For example, elk eat the flowers of Elk Thistle.
* Tend to have involucral bracts that adhere to the flower head for most of their length (except for the spine).
* Are
not rhizomatous except for Flodman’s Thistle which can produce horizontal runner roots.
Non-native (Exotic) Thistles* Colonize disturbed ground quickly, often form dense patches, and produce nastier spines - limiting recreational activities, injuring people/animals, and reducing native plant species diversity.
* Flowers provide nectar and pollen for some birds and insects, but not for wildlife or livestock.
* Some species are aggressively rhizomatous and outcompete native plants that provide nutritional forage.
* Require management to control, reduce, or remove. Refer to the MANAGEMENT subsection.
DIFFERENTIATING THISTLE GENERACarduus* Stems: Winged.
* Pappus: Barbellate (capillary) - of minutely barbed, narrow bristles. Bristles usually fall separately.
* Flower Head Receptacle: Not obviously fleshy or honeycombed. Densely bristly. In the flower head, look for bristles between the florets.
Cirsium* Stems: Winged or not winged.
* Pappus: Feathery (plumose) - of fine, long hairs on each side of the central axis (rib).
* Flower Head Receptacle: Densely bristly. In the flower head, look for bristles between the florets.
Onopordum* Stems: Spiny and winged along their entire length.
* Pappus: Barbellate (capillary) - of minutely barbed, narrow bristles. Bristles connected at base.
* Flower Head Receptacle: Definitively fleshy and honeycombed. No or very sparse and short bristles. In the flower head, look between the florets to find nothing.
Montana has 15 thistle species, and only 5 are described below:Bull Thistle –
Cirsium vulgare, exotic and undesirable
* Flower heads are mostly single at stem tips and arranged in an open inflorescence.
* Flower heads have involucres more than 2 cm tall [examine larger heads].
* On the flower head the outer bracts tend to point outwards and upwards, are needle-like and long.
* Leaves are deeply lobed, green beneath with cobwebby hairs and obvious white veins.
* Leaves have many sharp, short spines. Entire plant has spines, some very long, making it difficult to touch without injury.
* Plants are taprooted.
Canada Thistle -
Cirsium arvense, exotic and Noxious
* Flower heads have involucres less than 2 cm tall [examine larger heads].
* Each flower head consists of either male florets or female florets.
* Leaves are arachnoid-villous, but the green leaf remains visible.
* Stems lack an obvious winged stem.
* Plants are strongly rhizomatous.
Scotch Thistle –
Onopordum acanthium, exotic and undesirable
* Receptacle of flower head has no bristles.
* Entire lengths of stems have spiny wings, becoming broad and spiny.
* Foliage is silvery gray and can grow taller than 6 feet.
Musk Thistle -
Carduus nutans, exotic and undesirable
* Flower heads have involucral bracts that are broadly triangular, have smooth margins, and a short spine-tip.
* Heads nod as flowers mature.
Wavyleaf Thistle -
Cirsium undulatum, native and desirable
* Upper leaf surface lacks spines AND white-tomentose hairs making it appear gray.
* Involucral bracts tend to point upwards with inner bracts acuminate.
* Flower heads have involucres more than 2 cm tall [examine larger heads].
* Most flower heads not clustered and peduncles more than 2 cm long.
Flodman’s Thistle -
Cirsium flodmanii, native and desirable
* Upper leaf surface lacks spines AND has
sparse white-tomentose hairs making it appear green.
* Involucral bracts tend to point upwards with inner bracts acuminate.
* Flower heads have involucres more than 2 cm tall [examine larger heads].
* Most flower heads are not clustered and some peduncles are more than 2 cm long.
Long-styled Thistle -
Cirsium longistylum, native, Montana endemic, and SOC
* Upper leaf surface lacks spines.
* Inner and outer bracts are wide, scarious, and with erose tips AND outer bracts have a raised, darkened, and resinous keel.
* Flower heads have involucres more than 2 cm tall [examine larger heads].
