Meadow Thistle - Cirsium dissectum
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Species Description
Widespread but generally rare and local in the southern half of the UK below a line from Wales to Yorkshire, occurring throughout Ireland and very local in West Scotland. Habitat includes: Wet places such as fens, wet meadows, flood-pastures, bog margins etc. Growing habit: Stoloniferous Perennial. Height Up to 80 cm. Flowers: .
Stace 4:
Cirsium dissectum (L.) Hill - Meadow Thistle.
Erect perennial to 80cm; stems with only very reduced leaves in upper part, not winged; leaves scarcely to rather deeply lobed, softly spiny, white-hairy on lowerside; capitula 1.3-2.5 x 1.2-3cm (excluding flowers); flowers purple; 2n=34. Native; fens, bogs, wet fields on peaty soil; very local in England and Wales North to North East Yorkshire and Caernarfonshire, throughout Ireland, very local in West Scotland.
Key:
- Stem-leaves narrowed to base, not or scarcely clasping stem; capitula mostly <20mm to tip of uppermost phyllaries; mostly South England, Wales and Ireland
- Lower stem-leaves not or rather shallowly lobed, the lobes scarcely or not lobed, white on lowerside, roots not swollen