Carthamus lanatus

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Carthamus lanatus
Yellow thorny flower bgiu.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Carthamus
Species:
C. lanatus
Binomial name
Carthamus lanatus
L.
Synonyms

Carthamus baeticus

Carthamus lanatus is a species of thistle known as woolly distaff thistle, [1] downy safflower [2] or saffron thistle. It is closely related to safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). This annual plant is a native of the Mediterranean Basin, but it is familiar in other places where it was introduced and has become a noxious weed, such as in parts of North America and southern Australia [3] with similar climates.

Contents

Description

This is a spiny, glandular, woolly plant, which often seems to be covered in spiders' webs, due to its fine tangled fibers. It has a pale stem which may reach a meter in height, and rigid, pointed, very spiny leaves. The flower head has many long, sharp phyllaries that can be up to several centimeters long, and often bend backwards (recurved). The disc florets are bright yellow. One plant can produce many stems which mat together due to their spininess and form a small thicket. The fruit is an achene about half a centimeter long with many rigid pappus scales.

Invasive species in Australia

In Australia the plant is commonly regarded as a pasture weed because it competes with desired plants such as pasture or crops, seeds and bracts become embedded in wool which results in lower returns to farmers, and dense infestations restrict stock access and are difficult to walk through. It is generally not considered a weed in much of Europe. [4]

Population biology

Seed germination is stimulated by red light. [5] This means that germination is most likely in areas with little vegetation or pasture cover, e.g. when an area has been overgrazed. Seeds also require specific temperature cues and water, which means that most seeds germinate in Autumn (Fall). There are more C. lanatus seeds in the soil in Australian pastures than in similar French pastures, probably because there are more seed predators capable of removing seeds of this size in France than in Australia. [4] Many C. lanatus seeds are dormant (will not germinate, even in ideal conditions), and seedbanks decrease by approximately 70-74% per year if no seed is added. [6]

Weed management

This plant can be controlled using a range of herbicides. [7] Several biological control options have been investigated for Australia, including classical biological control, although finding an insect or fungus that will not also attack safflower has proven difficult. A rosette-feeding fly Botanophila turcica shows some promise. [8] The potential for using pathogens already present in Australia has also been investigated. [9]

In pastures, good pasture cover in Autumn will reduce germination, [10] suggesting that pastures should be managed to reduce grazing pressure over summer, and increase the cover from summer-growing perennial grasses. Population models suggest that strategic grazing may be one of the most effective long-term control options for infested pastures. [11]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weed control</span> Botanical component of pest control for plants

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<i>Carduus nutans</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Carduus nutans, with the common names musk thistle, nodding thistle, and nodding plumeless thistle, is a biennial plant in the daisy and sunflower family Asteraceae. It is native to regions of Eurasia.

<i>Onopordum acanthium</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Onopordum acanthium is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and Western Asia from the Iberian Peninsula east to Kazakhstan, and north to central Scandinavia, and widely naturalised elsewhere, with especially large populations present in the United States and Australia. It is a vigorous biennial plant with coarse, spiny leaves and conspicuous spiny-winged stems.

<i>Cirsium vulgare</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Cirsium vulgare, the spear thistle, bull thistle, or common thistle, is a species of the Asteraceae genus Cirsium, native throughout most of Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. It is also naturalised in North America, Africa, and Australia and is an invasive weed in some areas. It is the national flower of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safflower</span> Species of plant

Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande as a substitute for saffron. Plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head. Safflower is native to arid environments having seasonal rain. It grows a deep taproot which enables it to thrive in such environments.

<i>Cirsium arvense</i> Species of flowering plant

Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and western Asia, northern Africa and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. It is also commonly known as Canada thistle and field thistle.

<i>Holcus lanatus</i> Species of plant

Holcus lanatus is a perennial flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. The specific epithet lanatus is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North America, where it is an invasive species, names include velvet grass and common velvet grass.

<i>Centaurea solstitialis</i> Species of flowering plant

Centaurea solstitialis, the yellow star-thistle, is a species of thorny plant in the genus Centaurea, which is part of the family Asteraceae. A winter annual, it is native to the Mediterranean Basin region and invasive in many other places. It is also known as golden starthistle, yellow cockspur and St. Barnaby's thistle.

<i>Melilotus albus</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

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<i>Cucumis myriocarpus</i> Berry and plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noxious weed</span> Harmful or invasive weed

A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or livestock. Most noxious weeds have been introduced into an ecosystem by ignorance, mismanagement, or accident. Some noxious weeds are native. Typically they are plants that grow aggressively, multiply quickly without natural controls, and display adverse effects through contact or ingestion. Noxious weeds are a large problem in many parts of the world, greatly affecting areas of agriculture, forest management, nature reserves, parks and other open space.

<i>Carduus pycnocephalus</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Carduus pycnocephalus, with common names including Italian thistle, Italian plumeless thistle, and Plymouth thistle, is a species of thistle. It is native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia; East Europe and the Caucasus; and the Indian Subcontinent.

<i>Echium plantagineum</i> in Australia Species of flowering plant

Paterson's curse or Salvation Jane is an invasive plant species in Australia. There are a number of theories regarding where the name Salvation Jane originated, and it is mostly used in South Australia. These explanations include "salvation jane" referring to the flower which looks similar to the bonnets of Salvation Army ladies, its “salvation” to beekeepers because it is often in flower when the honeyflow is down, and due to its use as a source of emergency food for grazing animals when the less drought-tolerant grazing pastures die off. Other names are blueweed, Lady Campbell weed, Riverina bluebell, and purple viper's bugloss.

<i>Bromus diandrus</i> Species of grass

Bromus diandrus is a species of grass known by the common names great brome and "ripgut brome".

<i>Carduus acanthoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Carduus acanthoides, known as the spiny plumeless thistle, welted thistle, or plumeless thistle, is a biennial plant species of thistle in the family Asteraceae. The plant is native to Europe and Asia and introduced in many other areas, where it is sometimes considered an invasive species.

<i>Taeniatherum</i> Genus of grasses

Taeniatherum is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the grass family.

<i>Orobanche ramosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Orobanche ramosa is a species of broomrape known by the common names hemp broomrape and branched broomrape. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is known in many other places as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed.

<i>Themeda quadrivalvis</i> Species of grass

Themeda quadrivalvis is a species of grass known by the common names grader grass, habana grass, and kangaroo grass, not to be confused with Themeda triandra, which is also known as kangaroo grass. It is native to India, Nepal, and Malaysia. It can also be found in many other places as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It occurs in the United States, New Caledonia, Fiji, Mauritius, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, China, the Middle East and tropical America. It is a troublesome exotic weed in Australia, especially in northern regions. It is also an agricultural weed in crops such as sugar cane and lucerne.

<i>Bassia hyssopifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Bassia hyssopifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae, known by the common names five-horn smotherweed, five-hook bassia, and thorn orache. It is native to parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species, including North and South America and Australia. It is a weed, invasive at times.

References

  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Carthamus lanatus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. Parsons & Cuthbertson 1992. Noxious Weeds of Australia. Inkata, Melbourne
  4. 1 2 Grace et al. 2002. Proceedings 13th Australian Weeds Conference, pp 529-532
  5. Wright et al. 1980. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 7: 587-594
  6. Grace et al. 2002. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53:1327-1334
  7. Peirce JR 1995. Carthamus lanatus In: Biology of Australian Weeds, RG&FJ Richardson pubs, Melbourne
  8. Sheppard & Vitou 2000 Acta Oecologia 21(6):1-11
  9. Crump et al. 1996. Australasian Plant Pathology 25:143
  10. Grace et al. 2002. The Rangeland Journal 24:313-325
  11. Grace 2001. PhD Thesis, University of New England, Australia