Thistle is a plebeian , not scientific , name of a broad group of flowering plants , most of which go to the aster family . thistle have thorniness as a characteristic physical feature article . Typically , prickles or spiny leaves circumvent the flower particularly , though some thistles are prickly all over , a defense against being eaten .
Weed
The thistle is dislike by many and brand a smoke . It is undesirable due to some thistles ' belligerent reproduction power . The bloom headspring can prolifically develop seed for dissemination far and wide , including by wind pollenation . One musk thistle plant alone can , for example , get 120,000 seed . Those grow thistle should skip off flower heads when they wither so the prime ca n’t go along to the seed - producing degree .
Edible
While those who reckon the thistle to be a green goddess and attempt to eradicate the plants , others train some thistle for nutrient . Once pollinated , the blossoms of comestible thistle create germ that are well eaten after being poke fun . The seeds also can bring about oil ; others are esteem to possess medicinal power . Both the roots and flowers of the bull thistle are eatable . Native Americans used to masticate on the petals as they would chewing glue .
Typical Flowers
Thistle efflorescence flower in many color , include white and yellow , though thistles are often thought of as lavender to empurple . Usually the flowers are tube - like and cluster together in flower head word . Each flower head might appear to some to be a exclusive spiky flower . Carline thistles are an exception . The flush looks remindful of a daisy , with shine flower petal .
Environmental Role
The blossom of thistles are ask in to wildlife , attracting insects and birds likewise . Butterflies attracted to thistles admit the black swallowtail , the chequered captain , the gorgone checkerspot and the milkweed butterfly . Spinus tristis enjoy thistle very much , dining on them and using it for nest construction . Bees , too , call in thistle flowers .
Involucre
The thistle blossom sits atop a body structure called an involucre , which , in bend , go past the root word . The involucre can act like a sort of pedestal for the flower , or cupful it the way the sepal of a calyx do on other bloom . The involucre is really a assembling of bracts that protect the thistle blossom . bract are leaflike structure .
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