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- Cirsium arvense
Cirsium arvense — creeping thistle
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Facts
Creeping thistle is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced to North America in the 1600s. It is one of the most economically significant agricultural weeds in the world, and is considered a noxious weed in most states
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
- Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 30–300 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 21-50
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract margins
-
- there are few or no fine hairs along the bract margins
- there are fine hairs along the bract margins
- Bract outer side hair type
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
- the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
- Bract spines
- there is just one simple spine at the tip of the bract
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- there are no projections from the bract tips
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
- the tips of the bracts are truncate (end abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Disk flower color
-
- blue to purple
- pink to red
- white
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 21-50
- more than 50
- Disk flower proportions
- more than 75%
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is abruptly widened at some point below the lobes
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk
- Flower head platform
- the base has fine, short hairs on it
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 10–20 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
- Ovary attachment
- the ovary is attached at or near the base
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
- there are no lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
-
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- in profile, the ovary is roughly egg-shaped, but widest above the middle
- Ovary surface
- the ovary surface has no points, bumps or wrinkles, though it may have lines, ribs or wings
- Peduncle length
- 2–70 mm
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
-
- all the flowers on some plants have carpels, while all the flowers on other plants have stamens
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Rim at top of ovary
- the central flowers have a disk-shaped platform above the ovary
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts
- Width of flower head base
- 10–20 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 2–4 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft color
- the pappus hairs are tan to dark brown
- Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs have smaller hairs along their sides
- Seed hair tuft length
- 13–32 mm
- Seed hairs uniform
- all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- at least a part of the plume is made up of fine bristles
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade flatness
-
- the edges of the leaf are curled under
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 30–300 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 10–60 mm
- Leaf disposition
-
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are spines along the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- At least 0 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- At least 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs are pressed flat against the plant, pointing either towards the plant's tip or towards it's base
- Stem internode hair length
- At least 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present, invasive, prohibited
- Maine
- present, invasive
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present, invasive
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. E
creeping thistle. Breea arvensis Less.; Carduus arvensis (L.) Robson; Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. horridum Wimmer & Grab.; C. arvense (L.) Scop. var. integrifolium Wimmer & Grab.; C. arvense (L.) Scop. var. mite Wimmer & Grab.; Serratula arvensis L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Fields, roadsides, clearings.
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Breea arvensis Less.
- Carduus arvensis (L.) Robson
- Cirsium arvense var. horridum Wimmer & Grab.
- Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium Wimmer & Grab.
- Cirsium arvense var. mite Wimmer & Grab.
- Serratula arvensis L.