Seasonal Wild Flowers

Dwarf Thistle

Cirsium acaule

Stemless Thistle

Asteraceae

June (late) to September

It is found mainly in the South, the Southeast, the East Midlands

and East Anglia.

For a map see the National Biodiversity Network Gateway

It grows on lightly grazed chalk grassland and limestone turf.

Dwarf Thistle is a native, rosette-forming, perennial herb, growing

up to 20cm.

Flowers are purple.

Leaves are spiny, shiny on both sides and in a prostrate rosette.

At first sight, there is no obvious stem, however, as shown here,

there is a short stem with flower buds in the axils of the leaves.

Dwarf Thistle, Powerstock Common, Dorset

Flowerhead

Flowerhead from side

Fruiting head

Short stem, flower buds

Rosette of basal leaves

Close-up of leaves