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.

See the BSBI distribution map for Dwarf Thistle

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