Carduus nutans L.

Nodding Thistle; Musk Thistle

Herb

Biennial

Vascular

Nodding Thistle is an herbaceous introduced annual or biennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to Asia and Europe. In Alabama in can be found primarily in the northern half of the state. Nodding Thistle occurs in pastures, on roadsides, and along railroads. It is an annual or biennial with a tap root. Stems are 3-7 feet in height, green in color, branched or unbranched, and pubescent or glabrous. The stem is winged with spiny tissue decurrent from the base of the leaves. Leaves are basal and cauline. Basal leaves from a rosette. The basal leaves are larger and have winged petioles. The cauline leaves are sessile. Leaves are elliptic to lanceolate in outline, pinnately dissected or lobed, and glabrous or arachnose pubescent. The leaves have stiff, sharp spines along their margins. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are solitary, long pedunculate, and often nodding. The phyllaries are spine-tipped and purplish in color. The heads contain 1200+ tubular, purple disc flowers. The fruit is a ribbed achene with a tuff of pappus bristles at its apex. Nodding Thistle is listed as a category 2 invasive species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. The Thistle-head Weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) was introduced in North America from its native range in Europe and Western Asia in an attempt to control Nodding Thistle. The Weevil has attacked native species of thistle in the genus Cirsium, and the impacts on some has been quite significant. Thistle-head Weevil is now also considered an invasive species.--A. Diamond

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Not Native

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