CANADA THISTLE

Class: Cirsium arvense

Family: ASTER FAMILY

Sub Family: Asteraceae, Compositae

Year: Perennial

Other Names: Cursed Thistle, Soft Field Thistle, Creeping Thistle

Colour: Pinkish-purple

Height: 30 cm-1.8 m (1-6')

Each Flower: 1.3-2 cm (1/2-3/4") across; male flowers longer than female flowers; male involucre rounded, female involucre more oblong; bracts on involucre stiff but not sharply spiny

Leaves: Basal leaves long, with pointed, spine-tipped, stalkless; blades whitish beneath, often wavy

Stems: Rigid, erect, more or less smooth, ridged

Blooming Period: July - August

Habitat: Pasture, waste ground, and roadsides

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