Cirsium vulgare
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
Scotch thistle
Biostatus
Exotic
Conservation status
Not applicable
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Taprooted biennial 50-150cm tall; stems branched and covered in fine cobweb-like hairs; prickles pale 4-10mm long; purple flowers 28-33mm long (Webb et al., 1988). The flowers are clustered at the end of the stem and the numerous wind-dispersed seeds (West, 1996).
Habitat
Terrestrial. Relatively open conditions are required for germination and establishment (West, 1996). Wasteland, roadsides, pastures, gardens, cultivated land, disturbed forest (Webb et al., 1988). Track edges, slips, barer ridges, under light gaps in the forest (West, 1996).
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November, December, January, February, March
Year naturalised
1867
Origin
Eurasia, N. Africa
Reason for introduction
Accidental.
Life cycle and dispersal
Biennial. A rosette of leaves is formed in the first year of growth and a flower-bearing stem is formed in the second year (West, 1996). Seed is dispersed by wind (ibid.)
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
cirsium: A kind of thistle
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CIRVUL