Cirsium acaule

Cirsium acaule
Cirsium acaule/acaulon (Dwarf Thistle)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Cirsium
Species:	C. acaule
Binomial name
Cirsium acaule (L.) A.A.Weber ex Wigg. 1780 not Scop. 1780 nor Ledeb. 1833 [1]
Synonyms [1]
Synonymy Carduus acaulisL. Carduus caulescensPers. ex Steud. Carduus gmeliniSteud. Carduus roseniiVill. Carduus spinosusGueldenst. ex Ledeb. Cirsium allioniiSpenn. Cirsium alpestreNägeli Cirsium bipontinumF.W.Schultz Cirsium consanguineumDC. Cirsium decipiensNyman Cirsium decoloratumW.D.J.Koch Cirsium exigiumBubani Cirsium fallaxFranch. Cirsium lachenaliiW.D.J.Koch Cirsium roseniiVill. Cirsium sorocephalumDC. Cnicus affghanicusC.Winkl. ex Petr.

Cirsium acaule or acaulon has the English name dwarf thistle or stemless thistle. It is widespread across much of Europe. ^[2] It is often found on short, calcerous grasslands.

Description

Cirsium acaule is a perennial herb. The leaves are a spreading rosette, spiny, 10 to 15 cm long.

There is usually only one flower head, although there can sometimes be 2 or 3. Usually it is not stalked from the leaf rosette. The flower head is 3 to 4 cm long, the florets are red/purple. They flower from June to September. ^[3]

References

1. The Plant List, Cirsium acaule (L.) A.A.Weber ex Wigg
2. Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo nano, Cirsium acaule includes photos and European distribution map
3. Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. pp. 382–383. ISBN   0-7232-2419-6.