Cirsium arvense

ClassificationDicots
FamilyAsteraceae
Family (Traditional)Asteraceae
GenusCirsium
Species:Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.
Common NameCanada Thistle
Growth Habitforb
Plant Notes**
CharacteristicsArmaments: Yes; Milky Sap: No; Photosynthetic: Yes; Stipules: No; Woody Herbaceous: Herbaceous; Natural Area Presence: GRSM; Duration: Perennial; General Ecology: Terrestrial; Growth Habit: forb; Moisture Requirements: Sub-xeric; Moisture Requirements: Dry-mesic; Region of Origin: Asia; Region of Origin: Europe; Reproductive Phenology: June; Reproductive Phenology: July; Reproductive Phenology: August; Reproductive Phenology: September; Reproductive Phenology: October; Leaf Arrangement: alternate; Leaf Arrangement: basal; Leaf Complexity: simple; Leaf Dissection: 0; Leaf Dissection: 0.5; Leaf Fragrance: No; Leaf Persistance: Deciduous; Leaf Petiole Type: petiolate; Leaf Petiole Type: sessile; Leaf Type: broadleaf; Leaf Type: thistle-like; Leaf Venation: pinnate; Leaflet Margins: entire; Leaflet Margins: lobed; Leaflet Number: 0; Anther Type: Basifixed; Base Flower Color: Pink; Base Flower Color: Purple; Base Flower Color: White; Carpel Number/Pistil: 1; Fruit Complexity: Simple; Fruit Dehiscence: No; Fruit Type: Cypsela; Fruit Wet/Dry: Dry; Hypanthium Present: No; Inflorescence Position: terminal; Inflorescence Types: corymb/cyme/umbel; Inflorescence Types: head; Inflorescence Types: solitary; Ovary Position: Inferior; Overall Flower Symmetry: Actinomorphic; Ovules per Carpel: 1; Perianth Present: Yes; Petal Fusion: Yes; Petal Number: 5; Pistil Complexity: Simple; Pistil Number: 1; Placentation Type: Basal; Sepal Fusion: N/A; Sepal Number: N/A; Sexuality: monoclinous; Sporangium Arrangement: N/A; Stamen Number: 5; Tepal Number: N/A
C value N/A
StatusNot Native; AGCP (FACU), EMP (FACU) (NWPL); TN[SNA] KY[SNA] (State Rank); G5 (Global Rank)
Specimen(s) View and Download Specimen Details »

** Not applicable or data not available.

Currently no photos are available for this plant.

Species Distribution Map

This species has been reported in the counties highlighted in the interactive distribution map below. Click on a county to display the its name. Click the question mark icon () to view additional information about the ecoregions shown. In the map legend, there are links to toggle the visibility of the ecoregions and/or their labels. In addition, clicking on an ecoregion name will highlight that region on the map.

  • State Boundaries
  • Counties
  • Counties - Species Present
Ecoregions
  • Southeastern Plains
    • Blackland Prarie
  • Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Ridge and Valley
  • Cumberland Plateau
  • Cumberland Mountains
  • Allegheny Plateau
  • Interior Plateau
    • Bluegrass Region
    • Nashville Basin
    • Pennyroyal Karst Plain
    • Western Highland Rim
    • Eastern Highland Rim

Synonyms

SynonymFull Citation
Breea arvensis Breea arvensis (L.) Less.
Breea incana Breea incana
Carduus arvensis Carduus arvensis (L.) Robson
Cirsium arvense var. argenteum Cirsium arvense var. argenteum (Vest) Fiori
Cirsium arvense var. horridum Cirsium arvense var. horridum Wimmer & Grab.
Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium Cirsium arvense var. integrifolium Wimmer & Grab.
Cirsium arvense var. mite Cirsium arvense var. mite Wimmer & Grab.
Cirsium arvense var. vestitum Cirsium arvense var. vestitum Wimmer & Grab.
Cirsium incanum Cirsium incanum (Gmel.) Fisch.
Cirsium ochrolepidium Cirsium ochrolepidium
Cirsium setosum Cirsium setosum (Willd.) Bess. ex Bieb.
Serratula arvensis Serratula arvensis L.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort.

Counties included on distribution map: Bell (KY), Boone (KY), Bracken (KY), Christian (KY), Clark (KY), Elliott (KY), Franklin (KY), Gallatin (KY), Harlan (KY), Jackson (KY), Jefferson (KY), Kenton (KY), Lewis (KY), Madison (KY), Menifee (KY), Oldham (KY), Pendleton (KY), Wolfe (KY), Campbell (TN), Carter (TN), Claiborne (TN), Hickman (TN), Johnson (TN), Knox (TN), Sullivan (TN), Washington (TN)

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: APSC, BEREA, EKY, ETSU, KNK, TENN, UCHT

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1973 - 2004

Accession No. (click for full details) County State Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
N/A Wolfe Kentucky 29 Jul 1988 Ross C. Clark
21508		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247657 Franklin Kentucky 07 Sep 1995 D. L. White
s.n.		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100856200 Wolfe Kentucky 29 Jul 1988 R.C. Clark
21508		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
N/A Wolfe Kentucky 29 Jul 1988 R.C. Clark
21508		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247681 Madison Kentucky 13 Jun 1994 Gary W. Libby
360		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247764 Jackson Kentucky 08 Jul 1989 Joe Abner
89-147		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100769262 Wolfe Kentucky 29 Jul 1988 Ross C. Clark
21508		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247731 Menifee Kentucky 24 Jul 1989 Carol Hanley
79		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247699 Madison Kentucky 28 Jun 1982 Ronald L. Jones
3701		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247707 Madison Kentucky 12 Jun 1993 Susan Wind
90		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100858586 Wolfe Kentucky 09 Jul 1973 Johnnie B. Varner
7210		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247665 Harlan Kentucky 19 Jun 2004 Amy V. Mcintosh
212		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
BEREA002923 Lewis Kentucky
BEREA
Cirsium arvense
31973000005498 Boone Kentucky 27 Sep 1993 Perkins, Charles
23-09(2)		 KNK
Cirsium arvense
BEREA002920 Bell Kentucky
BEREA
Cirsium arvense
31973000005499 Bracken Kentucky 30 Jun 1983 Buddell, George
2234		 KNK
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237485 Campbell Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237481 Campbell Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
APSC0115243 Elliott Kentucky
APSC
Cirsium arvense
ETSU034053 Carter Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
BEREA002921 Lewis Kentucky
BEREA
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237491 Knox Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237488 Hickman Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237494 Washington Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237487 Claiborne Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
APSC0071220 Lewis Kentucky 07 Aug 1982 Max Medley
 APSC
Cirsium arvense
ETSU034052 Carter Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
ETSU008003 Johnson Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
ETSU011870 Sullivan Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
31234100247723 Madison Kentucky 28 Jun 1982 Ronald L. Jones
3701		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31234100247715 Madison Kentucky 20 Jun 1975 J. Stuart Lassetter
2418		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237482 Campbell Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
APSC0121643 Oldham Kentucky
APSC
Cirsium arvense
BEREA002922 Lewis Kentucky
BEREA
Cirsium arvense
APSC0079320 Christian Kentucky 28 Aug 1980 Max Medley
 APSC
Cirsium arvense
31234100247640 Clark Kentucky 01 Sep 2000 Timothy J. Weckman
6107		 EKY
Cirsium arvense
31973000005497 Gallatin Kentucky 26 Jul 1997 Thieret, John
60228		 KNK
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237489 Hickman Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237484 Campbell Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237492 Washington Tennessee 10 Jun 1998 Don Sudbrink
 TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237486 Claiborne Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
APSC0079313 Oldham Kentucky
APSC
Cirsium arvense
APSC0121879 Jefferson Kentucky
APSC
Cirsium arvense
APSC0121908 Pendleton Kentucky
APSC
Cirsium arvense
ETSU011871 Washington Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
31973000005496 Kenton Kentucky 10 Sep 1976 Applegarth, Patrick
143		 KNK
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237483 Campbell Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237490 Johnson Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
TENN-V-0237493 Washington Tennessee
TENN
Cirsium arvense
UCHT007918 Washington Tennessee 10 Jun 1998 Don Sudbrink
 UCHT
Cirsium arvense
ETSU011872 Tennessee
ETSU
Cirsium arvense
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