Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cirsium virginianum
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Virginia Thistle at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cirsium virginianum
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Cirsium virginianum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-25-007:
Carduus virginianus FAMILY Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cirsium revolutum
COMMON NAME:
Virginia Thistle
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_civi_001_lvd
)
John B. Nelson jbn_8011829634_cc94372be9
September Charleston County SC
Corollas purple, 21-26 mm, throats noticeably wider than tubes, per Flora of North America.
)
Will Stuart wil_virginianu220925_3530
September Craven NC
Croatan National Forest
)
Will Stuart wil_virginianu220925_3539
September Craven NC
Croatan National Forest
Leaves spread widely, to 15cm x 5cm, the blade lobed or not, divisions spine-tipped, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Will Stuart wil_virginianu220925_3592
September Craven NC
Croatan National Forest
Each head is about 2.5cm across, the bracts tight and with short spines, per Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011).
)
Will Stuart wil_virginianu220925_3596
September Craven NC
Croatan National Forest
Leaves firm-textured, blades thick, ± rigid, per Flora of North America.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cirsium virginianum
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cirsium virginianum
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Cirsium virginianum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-25-007:
Carduus virginianus
FAMILY
Asteraceae__
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cirsium revolutum
3080
Forb
Biennial
Habitat: Moist to fairly dry pine savannas, bogs, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in Carolina Coastal Plain, rare elsewhere
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaf margins spiny
LEAVES:
Simple: Unlobed and/or dissected
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Disc: Purplish
Rays: Absent
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Achene
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p172
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p131
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p207
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".