What is a thistle?
Q: What is a thistle?
A: A thistle is a group of flowering plants that have sharp prickles around the flower and are in the Asteraceae family.
Q: What is the purpose of the prickles on thistles?
A: The prickles protect the plant from herbivorous animals and stop them from eating the plant.
Q: Are all thistles in the Cynareae group?
A: No, thistles outside of the Cynareae group are sometimes called thistles, which would make thistles a polyphyletic group.
Q: Which plants are sometimes called thistles?
A: Plants outside of the Cynareae group are sometimes called thistles.
Q: What are some genera within the Cynareae (synonym: Cardueae) group?
A: Some genera within the Cynareae group include Carduus, Cirsium, and Onopordum.
Q: What is the floral emblem of Scotland?
A: The thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland.
Q: Are all thistles in the Asteraceae family?
A: Yes, all thistles are in the Asteraceae family.
