Cirsium Mill.

First published in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4.: [s.p.] (1754)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. Eurasia to Indian Subcontinent, Macaronesia to Ethiopia, N. America to Colombia.

Descriptions

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit
Herbs with spiny wings on stems
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, pinnatifid (in ours), with spine-tipped teeth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula homogamous, discoid; phyllaries many, in several series, imbricate, usually spine-tipped; receptacle densely setose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, narrowly tubular with a broad, deeply 5-lobed limb; anthers with sagittate bases, the adjacent auricles connate, tailed; style with an abrupt swelling with a ring of hairs just below the branches, these flat and ± connate, diverging only distally
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes with a raised annular collar; pappus many-seriate, of plumose bristles connate into a ring at the base.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Herbs with spiny wings on stems
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, pinnatifid (in Somalia), with spine-tipped teeth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Capitula homogamous, discoid; phyllaries many, in several series, usually spine-tipped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets slender
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with an abrupt swelling with a ring of hairs just below the branches, these flat and±connate, diverging only distally
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes with a raised annular collar; pappus many-seriate, of plumose bristles connate into a ring at the base.
Distribution
Some 450 species, mainly in north temperate regions, with several widespread weeds (thistles).
[FSOM]

Compositae, G. V. Pope. Flora Zambesiaca 6:1. 1992

Morphology General Habit
Perennial or biennial (annual) herbs.
Morphology Stem
Stems spiny-winged from decurrent leaf bases, rarely unarmed.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnatifid in the Flora Zambesiaca area (entire) with spine-tipped teeth at the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula homogamous, discoid, loosely aggregated (or large solitary and terminal) on the branches.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Phyllaries
Phyllaries numerous many-seriate imbricate appressed, ± patent apically and usually spine-tipped, with or without subterminal vitta, margins entire to spinulose or lacerate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle flat or convex, densely long-setose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets hermaphrodite (rarely unisexual); corollas white to purple (yellowish), narrowly tubular with a broad deeply 5-lobed limb.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther bases sagittate, the adjacent auricles connate and produced into entire or lacerate tails.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2-branched, with an abrupt swelling below the branches and a ring of hairs at or below the swelling; the branches erect, long somewhat flat and ± connate, diverging only near the tips.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ± oblong, compressed smooth, glabrous with a raised annular collar at the apex, attachment-scar sub-basal oblique or ± horizontal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Pappus many-seriate; setae plumose, connate into a ring at the base, deciduous (± persistent), longest in the innermost series.
[FZ]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Biennial or perennial, very rarely annual herbs, with stems winged from the decurrent leaves or not
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple or more commonly pinnately lobed or divided, spinous with rather weak to extremely strong spines, often ± cottony-arachnoid at least on lower surface, upper with or without setae or spinules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula solitary or in corymbs, racemes or dense clusters, homogamous, hermaphrodite or rarely dioecious; phyllaries multiseriate, closely imbricate at least below, glabrous to ± floccose, outer and median ± spine-tipped with spines erect to squarrose, margins entire to spinulose or fimbriate; receptacle long-pilose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corollas all tubular, usually pink to purple, sometimes white or yellow, limb usually divided to about halfway but sometimes deeper
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes smooth, glabrous, compressed to subterete; pappus multiseriate, connate into a ring at base, usually deciduous, innermost hairs often only scabrid at apex and ± clavate.
Distribution
Probably about 250 species in the northern temperate and subtemperate regions.
Etymology
Cirsium (from Gr. Κιρσιον, kirsion, a kind of thistle, in turn from Κιρσος, kirsos, ‘a swollen vein or welt’, because thistles were often used as a remedy against such things).
[FIQ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images