Cirsium arvense
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| Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. |
Cirsium arvense, also known as the Creeping Thistle or Canada Thistle, is a species of the genus Cirsium, native throughout Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
It is a tall herbaceous perennial plant, forming an extensive underground root system that sends up numerous erect stems each spring, reaching 1-2 m tall; the stems often lie partly flat by summer but can stay erect if supported by other vegetation. The leaves are very spiny, lobed, up to 15-20 cm long and 2-3 cm broad (smaller on the upper part of the flower stem). The inflorescence is 1-2 cm diameter, pink-purple, with all the florets of similar form (no division into disc and ray florets). The seeds are 4-5 mm long, with a downy pappus which assists in wind dispersal.
Creeping Thistle is used as a food plant by the Engrailed, a species of moth.
It is a nuisance weed in its native area, and a very serious invasive species in many other areas of the world.
Several other names have been applied to the species, including Field Thistle, and the very confusing "Canada Thistle" (it is not a native of Canada, being an introduction there).
[edit] Edibility
Cirsium species, are, for the most part, edible; however, the leaves are considered bitter and therefore rendered inedible; the taproot is considered the most nutritious. In Scotland (especially Fife) they are considered a delicacy, albeit a somewhat unusual one.
