Information AboutThistle |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT THISTLE | |
| asteraceae | |
| national symbols of scotland | |
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, a method of Seed Dispersal by wind. The tiny seeds are a favorite of Goldfinches and some other small birds.]] Thistle is the common name of a Polyphyletic group of Flowering Plant s characterised by Leaves with sharp spines or prickles on the margins, mostly in the plant family Asteraceae . Their prickles often occur all over the plant, including on the stem and flat parts of the leaf. These are an Adaptation to protect the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant. The thistle, in particular ''Onopordum acanthium'' (the Cotton Thistle or Scotch thistle), is the National Flower of Scotland , and is featured in many Scottish symbols and logos. Legend has it that a Viking attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish castle. Nowadays many Football Clubs in Scotland use Thistle in their name, to give themselves both a patriotic and fierce perception by others. Genera in the Asteraceae with the word thistle often used in their common names include:
Plants in families other than Asteraceae which are sometimes called thistle include:
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