This taxon is often spelled as Cirsium acaulon

Common Name: Stemless Thistle

General Information

Cirsium acaule is a herbaceous perennial plant with long, stout roots and a short rhizome. It produces one or more rosettes of prickly leaves, usually with a few sessile flowering heads at the centre; occasionallt producing an elongated aerial stem up to 30cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe, Norway, through Britain to Spain, east to Sweden, the Baltic States, Poland, Romania and the Balkans

Habitat

Closely grazed pastures, especially on chalk or limestone[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[].
This plant is very injurious in grassland, killing all plants that grow below it[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

At one time the root used to be chewed as a remedy for toothache[].

Other Uses

The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[]. No details of potential yields etc are given[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c.