Common name: Spear Thistle
Scientific name: Cirsium vulgare 翼薊, 歐洲薊
Genus: Cirsium 薊屬
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae 菊科, aster , daisy, composite or sunflower family
Remarks*: It is the national emblem (national flower) 國花 of Scotland.
Origin: Native.
Date: 3rd July
A tall, robust, branched biennial thistle, can reach up to 150 cm.
The upper part of the plant with the inflorescence.
Spear-shaped leaf with spear-shaped pinnate lobes. There is a yellow sharp spine at the tip of each lobe.
The underside of the leaf.
The hairs on the underside of the leaf.
Leaf with narrow, elongated terminal lobe.
Upper surface of the leaf bristly, dull and slightly glaucous.
The narrow, elongated terminated lobe.
There are spear-shaped pinnate lobes on both sides of the leaf.
The position where the leaf arising from the stem.
Stem leaves are decurrent. (see how the right leaf arising from the stem) (11th July)
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Hairs on the stem.
Stem with discontinuous spiny wings. Stem leaves are decurrent.
The inflorescence.
Flowering heads are of different stages. (the middle and right one had not flowered yet)
2 flowering heads on the top of the stem.
3 flowering heads on the top of the stem.
The 2 flower heads are short-stalked.
The top of an unopened flower head.
The spines at the top of the unopened flower head.
Other flower heads.
The spines are a bit longer at this later stage.
This flower head is flowering.
Flower head is purple (the petals, anther tubes and the styles are all purple).
Side view of the flower head.
The lower part of the flower head.
There is a yellow spine at the tip of each bract, with network of wooly threads linking adjacent bracts.
The top of the flower bead.
The dark purple anther tubes at the middle of the above photo have yet to open. Other anther tubes split open a little bit at its tip, with white pollens attached. Many pale purple petals are seen surrounding each anther tube.
Styles are emerging from the anther tubes, with white pollens attached on the style, ready to be carried by pollinators to other florets.
Styles are emerging from the anther tubes.
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