Cirsium erisithales



Cirsium erisithales, the yellow thistle or yellow melancholy thistle, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae.

Description
Cirsium erisithales can reach a height of 50 - 150 mm. The stems are erect, almost hairless. This plant has just a few leaves, with tooth-shaped lobes. Flower heads are lemon yellow, solitary or in groups (up to 5), with a diameter of 25 - 30 mm.

Distribution
This species is widespread in southern and eastern Europe, though nowhere very common. It is present in the mountains of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, the Balkans, Greece, southern Russia, etc.

Habitat
Cirsium erisithales grows in fresh wood (beech), rocky slopes, meadows and waters edge. It prefers calcareous or volcanic soils, at an elevation of 400 - 2000 m above sea level.