Seasonal Wild Flowers

Meadow Thistle

Cirsium dissectum

Asteraceae

June to August

It is found mainly the South and West, is scattered

elsewhere and largely absent from the North.

See the BSBI distribution map for Meadow Thistle

It grows on peaty, slightyly acid soils in fens, wet meadows

and flood-pastures.

Meadow Thistle is a native, stoloniferous perennial herb,

growing up to 80cm.

At first sight it resembles a knapweed.

Flowers are solitary and purple, up to 3cm across, and with

purple-tipped, lanceolate, cottony bracts.

Stems are pale and unspiked.

Leaves are eliptical ans slightly wavy and spiked.

The lower surfaces of the leaves are cottony.

Meadow Thistle, Powerstock

Common, Dorset

Flowerhead - purple-tipped, lanceolate

bracts

Florets - from above

Stem and basal leaves

Smooth upper leaf surface, cottony

lower surface