Taxon:  Carduus nutans L.



Summary
Genus:
Carduus
Family:
Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Subfamily:
Carduoideae
Tribe:
Cardueae
Subtribe:
Carduinae
Nomen number:
104109
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:821.  1753
Verified:
02/29/2012 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
0 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System. 
Other conspecific taxa
Carduus nutans L. subsp. leiophyllus (Petrovič) Stoj. & Stef. (0 active accession[s])
Carduus nutans L. subsp. nutans (0 active accession[s])
Carduus nutans L. subsp. scabrisquamus Arènes (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 268.
  6. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  7. Desrochers, A. M. et al. 1988. A biosystematic study of the Carduus nutans complex in Canada. Canad. J. Bot. 66:1621-1631.
  8. Desrochers, A. M. et al. 1988. The biology of Canadian weeds. 89. Carduus nutans L. and Carduus acanthoides L. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 68:1053-1068.
  9. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1275.
  10. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  11. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  12. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  13. Grubov, V. I. 2001. Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia
  14. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  15. Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
  16. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  17. Kazmi, S. M. A. 1964. Revision der Gattung Carduus (Compositae). Teil I. Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 5:279-550.
  18. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  19. Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
  20. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  21. Mouterde, P. 1966-. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie.
  22. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
  23. Radford, A. E. et al., eds. 1980-. Vascular flora of the southeastern United States.
  24. Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
  25. Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
  26. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  27. USDA National Agricultural Library. National Invasive Species Information Center (on-line resource).
  28. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  29. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  30. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
  31. International Seed Testing Association wild species list
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishmusk thistle  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishnodding thistle  1Desrochers, A. M. et al. 1988. The biology of Canadian weeds. 89. Carduus nutans L. and Carduus acanthoides L. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 68:1053-1068.
English (Canada)nodding thistle Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 268.
Frenchchardon penché  2Desrochers, A. M. et al. 1988. The biology of Canadian weeds. 89. Carduus nutans L. and Carduus acanthoides L. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 68:1053-1068.
French (Canada)chardon penché Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel2Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 268.
Portuguese (Brazil)cardo-pendente  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Swedishnicktistel  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusArmenia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian FederationDagestan Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaXinjiang Uygur Zizhiqun.Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaKazakhstan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMongoliaMongolia  Grubov, V. I. 2001. Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationAltay Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationBuryatia Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationChita Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationGorno-Altay Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationIrkutsks.Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationKemerovskaja oblast' Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationKrasnoyarsk Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationKurganskaja oblast' Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationNovosibirsk Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationOmsk Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationTomsk Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationTyumen Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationTyva, Respublika Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateSiberiaRussian FederationYakutia-Sakhas.Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaAfghanistan  Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Carduus thoermeri Weinm.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran n.w.Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Carduus thoermeri Weinm.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeBelarus  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeEstonia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeLithuania  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeMoldova  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian Federation-European partEuropean part Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. KrymEuro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeAustria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeCzech Republic  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeHungary  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeNetherlands  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSlovakia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeIreland  Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBosnia and Herzegovina  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeCroatia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeMontenegro  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeNorth Macedonia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeSerbia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeSlovenia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
3AdventiveEuropeEastern EuropeLatvia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaEastern Cape Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. Note: treats as Carduus macrocephalus Desf.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand  Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4NaturalizedEuropeMiddle EuropePoland  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeDenmark  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeFinland  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeNorway  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedEuropeNorthern EuropeSweden  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedNorthern America Canada  FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States  FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaChile  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran (n.w.), Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
  • SIBERIA: Russian Federation [Buryatia, Gorno-Altay, Tyva, Respublika, Yakutia-Sakha (s.), Altay, Krasnoyarsk, Chita, Irkutsk (s.), Kemerovskaja oblast', Kurganskaja oblast', Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen]
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan
  • MONGOLIA: Mongolia
  • CHINA: China [Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu (n.)]
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom, Ireland
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovakia
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France
Adventive
Europe
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Latvia
Naturalized
Africa
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape]
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Poland
Northern America
  • REGION: Canada, United States
Southern America
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Chile

Reference(s)
  1. Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
  2. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  3. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. Note: treats as Carduus macrocephalus Desf.
  5. Grubov, V. I. 2001. Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia
  6. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  7. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
  8. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  9. Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
  10. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Carduus thoermeri Weinm.
  11. Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
  12. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  13. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Weed  Desrochers, A. M. et al. 1988. The biology of Canadian weeds. 89. Carduus nutans L. and Carduus acanthoides L. Canad. J. Pl. Sci. 68:1053-1068.
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=104109. Accessed 3 October 2026.