Cotton Thistle

onopordum acanthium

The Cotton Thistle is a majestic and imposing biennial plant renowned for its striking silver-grey appearance and formidable array of thorns. Standing tall as a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), it has a rich history and was traditionally chosen as the national emblem of Scotland. It is highly valued in gardens for its dramatic, architectural presence, although in many parts of North America and Australia, it has earned a reputation as an aggressive, invasive weed due to its rapid spreading tendencies in disturbed soils.

生息地: Typically found in disturbed areas, dry pastures, roadsides, waste places, and dry fields with sandy or gravelly soils.

外見

This tall, branching biennial can reach heights between 50 to 300 centimeters. Its entire structure is covered in a dense, woolly webbing of white-to-grey hairs, giving the plant a distinctive dusty or cottony appearance. The sturdy stems feature broad, spiny, running wings along their length. Its leaves are large, coarse, and deeply lobed with sharp yellow spines at the margins, while the flower heads are globe-shaped, 3 to 5 centimeters wide, and capped with vibrant purple-to-pink florets surrounded by spine-tipped bracts.

界Plantae門Tracheophyta綱Magnoliopsida目Asterales科Asteraceae属Onopordum

Cotton Thistle

カテゴリ

植物

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Its scientific name Onopordum translates roughly from Greek to 'donkey flatulence,' originating from an ancient belief that eating the plant caused gas in donkeys.

The Cotton Thistle is the traditional national emblem of Scotland, symbolizing fierce defense due to its painfully sharp spines.

The seeds contain up to 25 percent oil, which was historically extracted and burned in lamps across Europe.

特殊能力

The entire plant is heavily armored with sharp spines along its stems and leaf margins, which effectively deter large herbivores from grazing on its foliage.

A dense covering of white, cottony trichomes reflects excess solar radiation, reduces water loss through transpiration, and protects the plant from harsh, drying winds.

A single plant can produce tens of thousands of seeds that remain viable in the soil seed bank for several years, waiting for optimal germinating conditions.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 50-300 cm
体重: 0.1-2 kg
寿命: 2 年

食性と食事

As an autotrophic plant, the Cotton Thistle produces its own food through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.

主な食物

Sunlight
Water
Carbon dioxide
Soil nutrients

生態系とのつながり

mutualism

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Provides abundant nectar and pollen for foraging workers.

host plant

Painted Lady

Vanessa cardui

Caterpillars feed on the spiny leaves as their primary host plant.

eaten by

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Adult birds feed on the protein-rich seeds during autumn.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Cotton Thistleを見分けるには？

Cotton Thistleを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Cotton Thistleの長さは何ですか？

50-300 cm

Cotton Thistleの体重は何ですか？

0.1-2 kg

Cotton Thistleの寿命は何ですか？

2 年

Cotton Thistleは何を食べますか？

As an autotrophic plant, the Cotton Thistle produces its own food through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil minerals.

Cotton Thistleは通常どこに生息していますか？

Typically found in disturbed areas, dry pastures, roadsides, waste places, and dry fields with sandy or gravelly soils.