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Perennials, Weeds > Cirsium > Cirsium pitcheri > Cirsium pitcheri

Cirsium pitcheri


Pitcher Thistle, Dune Thistle




Origin:  North America including Ontario, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Cirsium
Species
pitcheri
Category
Perennials, Weeds
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
JuneJuly
General Description
A monocarpic herb that matures over a period from 3-11 years. It is ranked as nationally imperilled in Canada and Threatened in the United States of America.
Growth
Slow
Pests
Prone to browsing by White-tailed Deer, Snowshoe Hare and Canada Goose.
Habitat
Pitcher Thistle is found in dune grassland communities dominated by Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata), Long- leaved Sand Reed (Calamovilfa longifolia var. magna), Great Lakes Wheat-grass (Elymus lanceolatus spp. psammophilus) or Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
Flower Description
Clusters of spiny, urn shaped, creamy white to pink thistle-like flowers in early to mid-summer
Fruit Description
The seed is shiny and dark brown with a papas attached to assist in dispersal.
Notable Specimens
Pukaskwa National Park of Canada, Heron Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Propagation
By seed which appears viable for a period of three years, no known means of vegetative propagation exists.
References
COSEWIC. 2010. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Pitcher’s Thistle Cirsium pitcheri in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 32 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm).
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