SLENDER THISTLE

Carduus tenuiflorus

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]

Flowers:
month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug

Pappus: pappusZpossible (white)
pappus8jul pappus8july pappus8aug pappus8sep pappus8sept pappus8oct

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8bicolour
 
flower
flower8lilac flower8pink flower8mauve
 
inner
inner8white
 
petals
petalsZmany
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8winged
 
stem
stem8spines stem8thorns
prickles
contact
contactZlowish
 

19th June 2019, coastal path to Sambo's Grave, well South of Heysham. Photo: © RWD
Spreading rampant like wildfire here along the coast south of Morecambe Bay.


19th June 2019, coastal path to Sambo's Grave, well South of Heysham. Photo: © RWD
Grows alongside the high water mark and up a man-made hill to protect the farmland behind from the sea.


19th June 2019, coastal path to Sambo's Grave, well South of Heysham. Photo: © RWD
All gathered together for a moot. An impenetrable barrier to sheep and man.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Prefers growing near the sea,, but not rampantly as those near Sambo's Grave. Branched, with thistle-heads atop each very spiny stem.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
View of Piel Island, with Barrow behind. Slender Thistles on the shore-line just above high tide.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Extremely prickly and spiny! Not for walking through wearing shorts!


16th June 2009, Little Orme, North Wales Coast. Photo: © RWD
Spiny stem covered in spiny leaves, and spiny welts. Flowers un-stalked in clusters of 3 to 10.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD


16th June 2009, Little Orme, North Wales Coast. Photo: © RWD
Flowers pale pink to purple.


16th June 2009, Little Orme, North Wales Coast. Photo: © RWD
Sepals around the flower are tapered to a sharp point, and curve outwards in whorls.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
There is nowhere to hold this extremely prickly plant without getting punctured.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Outwardly curved sharply pointed yellowing green sepals. Inner sepals purple tipped. Disc florets not yet emerged.


16th June 2009, Little Orme, North Wales Coast. Photo: © RWD
Between the sharp spines is a cobweb of white threads


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Your Author thinks the fluffy white bobbles atop disc florets are the stigmas.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Your Author thinks the fluffy white bobbles atop disc florets are the stigmas.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Winged stems are actually welted, with the welt twisting one way then the other sinusoidally. Welts and stems have white cobweb hairs too.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
The lower leaves in prominence.


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
Basal rosette plus developing central stalk, already with latent flower(s).


25th May 2012, Little Orme, North Wales. Photo: © RWD
A lower leaf.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Basal rosette of leaves of a young specimen.


31st May 2007, south Walney Island, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Milky-green leaves also covered in a thin veil of white cobweb-like threads, not to mention the spines on the well-toothed edges.


Easily mis-identified as : Plymouth Thistle but that has less spiny stems as well as only 1 to 3 flowers in a cluster (as opposed to 3 - 10) and the flowers are stalked. However, Plymouth thistle is un-likely to be found anywhere but in Plymouth!

Can be mistaken for: Marsh Thistle because that also has flower-heads that seem to have no stalks, but the flowers are either much more deeply purple, or white with purple tips.

Some similarities to : Creeping Thistle but that has more lilac flowers, which are stalked.

Slender Thistle does not hybridize with any other thistle.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Painted Lady Adonis Blue
Brown Hairstreak
Dark Green Fritillary
Essex Skipper
High Brown Fritillary
Large Heath
Marbled White
Silver-spotted Skipper
Small Skipper
Silver-washed Fritillary



  Carduus tenuiflorus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Asteraceae  

Distribution
 family8Daisy & Dandelion family8Asteraceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Carduus
Carduus
(Thistles)

SLENDER THISTLE

Carduus tenuiflorus

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]

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