Carduus tenuiflorus

Thin -headed thistle ( Carduus tenuiflorus )

The thin -headed thistle ( Carduus tenuiflorus ) is a flowering plant in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). It is also called narrow -headed thistle.

Description

The thin -headed thistle is an annual or biennial plant, which reaches stature heights between 20 and 200 centimeters. The blue- green and tomentose hairy stems grow singly or are slightly branched. They are winged and wear on the wings spines of different sizes. The prickly around the edges leaves are lobed six - to eight-fold sinuate. The lower leaf surface is hairy spinnwebartig. The thistle flowers from April to July with pink flower heads which sit five to 20 on the stem end. Its diameter is 6 to 10 mm. The brown, 4-5 mm long and 10 - to 13 - annoying fruit is an achene with 10 to 15 millimeters long Perigonborsten.

Distribution and location

The plant is native to southern and western Europe and has spread from there to Central Europe, North and South America, South Africa, North India ( Kashmir ) and Australia. The plant grows mainly on disturbed sites, on dry, nitrogen-rich soils along roadsides and in pastures.

Note

Carduus L. pycnocephalus is also referred to as the German thin -headed thistle.