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hi there
I took a picture of this Thistle seed(s) head
It was sitting on my lawn today
Any ideas what type of Thistle it is?
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Well, there's not a lot to go on but it could be....
Creeping Thistle
Marsh Thistle
Spear Thistle
Meadow Thistle
or Saw-wort
or Common Knapweed
or Greater Knapweed
Hi Juno
Thank you for your reply.
Is there a way for a positive ID, Juno?
Should I split the seeds into smaller clumps for a better look, or are seeds such as thistles not easiest to ID as a rule of thumb.
Hi Blackbird,
If you could have taken a photo of the leaves as well as the whole plant then that would make it easier to identify which one of the thistles it is.
Thistle flowers are beautiful to look at but on the whole the plants are a pain{scuse pun} with their sharp spines and are best got rid of if you have them growing amongst your plants or in your grass.
Being Happy doesn't mean everythings perfect........
It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.....
Hi Blackbird
Thistles can be tricky when the whole plant isnt seen if it is the Creepiing Thistle it should be heavily scented These attract a lot of bees and butterflies because of their rich nectar source
More Here http://www.judywoods.dial.pipex.com/British%20Wild%20Flowers.html
There are quite a few that look alike so the more info on leaves etc the better, in some cases especially umbellifers the seeds can be a main determinant but under a high powered magnifer or microscope
Best Wishes
Colin D
Visit http://www.ukwildlife.dial.pipex.com for Natural History Species and accounts
Hi Robyn
Thank you for your reply
I only saw the seed head in this case on its own minus any leaves.
It must have blown in from somewhere or another with the slight winds we have been having of late.
Must try to get a full seed head, and the leaves and I will post as mentioned in the future.
I agree, that Thistles can be a bit dominant anywhere they grow so I will keep a check on them - though a couple of odd ones in a little wildlife garden area would be a good thing too for bird and butterflies alike.
Prefer the ones that grow tall with the purple flower over the short stalky bushy ones with the 'ouch' prickles that invade all areas of lawn with vengance
Thank you Colin for your very informative reply
Your link is a great help, and I will see what matches what I have got with my seeds. I still have the seed head on my table at the moment.
Will take a deeper look asap - when finished unpacking some more boxes in my house
Unknown said: Hi Blackbird Thistles can be tricky when the whole plant isnt seen if it is the Creepiing Thistle it should be heavily scented These attract a lot of bees and butterflies because of their rich nectar source More Here http://www.judywoods.dial.pipex.com/British%20Wild%20Flowers.html There are quite a few that look alike so the more info on leaves etc the better, in some cases especially umbellifers the seeds can be a main determinant but under a high powered magnifer or microscope Best Wishes Colin D
Hi Colin
I have had a look at your link and I see there are a few Thistles and plants similar to Thistles. so i can see where the confusion is going here - the leaves are a must have for ID purposes.
So I will see if there is a plant which has the same seeds on it and will post the leaves (or look up your site).
Still it would be interesting to see what the plant is as it will help people remember too.
Hi kathy & Dave
Hope you a had a good day. Great that you even looked at the thistles as everyone passes them by -they are the home of many an insect too. keep us all posted with your interesting finds
Best wisshes
I had a great day today..... though it was hot as everyone knows
Years ago my former x-husband who I met in a conservation group was a keen botonist - degree in Botany (interested like yourself) and he taught me a lot about plants/leaves etc....
Sadly I have not kept the practice going, so it has faded a bit. Still I know in my own heart I am still very interested in plants and learning a lot more about them yet.
So it is one of these thing that you need to keep working on and that is what I want to do - no matter how common the plant is - it is still interesting to me.
As you say a plant is a home, and a food source to many an insect and creature and it is part of the food chain too.
Looking forward to many more chats yet.
Hello Blackbird
I have an enormous Scottish thistle growing in my garden this year - it's now about 8 feet tall -the stem is a grey/blue and the seed heads are out now - they are purple. The bees seem very keen on them and I'm hoping the goldfinches might like them too.
The thistle must have been brought by the birds or the wind I suppose - it's in the middle of my cottage garden where it looks very out of place! Must say I don't particularly want another one next year!
I was hoping we would have had some rain overnight but seems we have missed out again - garden is so dry.
I'm on hooliday this week so am hoping to get outside and do some trips out - hope to go to Pegsdon Hills for a walk so don't mind if it's a bit cooler.
Have found a picture of the thistle I took a few weeks ago - it's grown since then!
Jazzcat