Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten., Asteraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 21 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: black thistle, bull thistle, Scotch thistle, spear thistle

French: chardon, chardon lanceole, cirse commun

Hawaiian: pua kala

Japanese: Amerika-oni-azami

Spanish: cardo, cardo lanceolado, negro

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Biennial herbs 5-15 dm tall; stems conspicuously spiny-winged from the decurrent leaf bases, spreading hirsute to arachnoid pubescent.  Leaves oblanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 (-40) cm long, 3-8 cm wide, upper surface with pungent bristles, lower surface arachnoid pubescent to hirsute, coarsely toothed to irregularly pinnatifid, the larger lobes toothed or lobed, base decurrent for the whole internode or the upper ones less so.  Heads several; involucre 2.5-4 cm high, 2-4 cm in diameter, sparsely arachnoid pubescent to woolly, the bracts spine-tipped, the spines 2-3.5 mm long; corollas purple, 26-36 mm long.  Achenes 3-5 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 287).

Habitat/ecology:  "Grows on a wide variety of soil types and under various moisture conditions and can tolerate a salt content of 2%. It thrives best in deep fertile, well-aerated soil that does not become too hot, and is less common in light, dry soil types. "It is abundant wherever the soil crust has been disturbed, e.g. along roads, river banks, dam margins and fences, or on severely overgrazed and trampled grazing land. It does not do well on regularly cultivated lands" (Ecoport).

In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in relatively dry to mesic areas" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 287). In New Caledonia, "paru vers 1969 dans des localités dispersées de la partie Sud de la côte Ouest, infestant rapidement des superficies importantes. Sa progression paraît s'être ralentie depuis" (MacKee, 1994; p. 33).

Propagation:  "Propagation is by means of seed only. The hairy plume makes it more suitable for wind dispersal but since the silky hairs are easily detachable, this method of seed dispersal is not very effective. Some seeds are distributed by floodwaters, or they adhere to mud on vehicles, implements and animals. Birds eat the seeds and also collect the silken tassels for their nests. Birds, baboons and other animals spread the seed from open ground to the trees or bushes where they hide. Another method of dispersal is when seeds or fragments of the plant are gathered with the harvest and are then dispersed in bales of stock feed, hay or in grain crops.

"Seed remains viable for a long time. After germination seedlings grow slowly and are not very resistant to competition or shading by other plants." (Ecoport)

Native range:  "Indigenous to Europe including British Isles and Scandinavia, as well as Western Asia, but it has now spread to virtually all temperate zones of the world. Countries in which it has assumed pest proportions include the USA, Canada, Argentina, Hawai‘i, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa." (Ecoport)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced	Pickard, J. (1984) (p. 205)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 18) "An often noxious weed of wasteland, neglected pastures etc." Vouchers cited: J. Pickard (NSW), A.C. Beauglehole 5658 (CANB, MEL), J. Pickard 3475 (NSW), J. Pickard in A.N. Rodd 1337 (NSW), J. Pickard 2782 (NSW)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287) Voucher cited: Rock 3315 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lehua Island	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya (2006) (p. 20) Single dead plant observed on this survey.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 287)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 99)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 379) Parue dans des localités dispersées du Sud de la côte Ouest, infestant rapidement des superficies importantes
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 33) Vouchers cited: Ferré in MacKee 22373, Ayard in MacKee 27180, Aymard in MacKee 27316, MacKee 31206, MacKee 31998
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Leprédour	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 33) Voucher cited: Veillon 1942
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 311) "Waste land, roadsides, pastures, gardens, cultivated land, disturbed forest".
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. (1996) (p. 450)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 207)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 207)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 207)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 207)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007) Xinjiang
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 214)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 311) "Waste land, roadsides, pastures, gardens, cultivated land, disturbed forest".
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)		Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James (1997) (p. 214)

Control: 

Physical:  "Mowing later in the season, e.g. just before seed dispersal, proved to be effective in reducing populations".

Chemical:  "Seedlings can be treated with herbicides containing MCPA, 2,4-D, dicamba or picloram"  (Weber, 2003; p. 110).

Additional information:  The Nature Conservancy photos.

Additional online information about Cirsium vulgare is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Cirsium vulgare may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe. 1996. Conséquences des introductions d'espèces animales et végétales sur la biodiversité en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 51:375-401.

Holm, Leroy/Doll, Jerry/Holm, Eric/Pancho, Jaun/Herberger, James. 1997. World weeds: natural histories and distribution. John Wiley & Sons. 1129 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Pickard, J. 1984. Exotic plants on Lord Howe Island: Distribution in space and time, 1853-1981. J. of Biogeography 11:181-208.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. 1996. New records and other information on the vascular flora of the Kermadec Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34:447-462.

Tassin, Jacques. 2005. Jacques Tassin (IAC-CIRAD), personal communication.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya. 2006. An annotated checklist and new island records of flowering plants from Lehua Islet, Ni‘ihau, Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:19-29.