Creeping Thistle

(Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) Fam:. Asteraceae

Danmark Ager-Tidsel, Estland Põldohakas, Finland Pelto-ohdake, HollandAkkerdistel, Island Þistill , Lettland Tiruma usne, Litauien Dirvine usnis, Norge Åkertistel, Polen Ostrożeń polny, Ryssland Бодяк полевой, Tyskland Acker-Kratzdistel , Storbrittanien Åkertistel



Cotyledons 8 – 15 mm long and 5 – 10 mm broad, oval, somewhat fleshy, without stalk or short-petioled, hairless. True leaves 8 – 20 cm, longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, grey-green above, cobwebby below, with long septate hairs both sides,weakly lobed or toothed with spiny  (1,5 – 3 mm) margins. Stems up to 130 cm, erect, rigid, branched, nearly glabrous or slightly hairy. Flower heads numerous (1,5 – 2,5 cm in diameter), in corymbose clusters, purpel-red. All florets tubular. Reproduces mainly by creeping roots, but also from seeds. Sites arable land and grassland (usually in groups), headlands and roadsides etc., near farm buildings, woodland clearings and ruderals. Particularly on fairly dry, nutrient-rich, deep loam soils. Troublesome rhizomatous perennial weed.