Common Name: bull thistleScientific Name: Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore syn. Carduus vulgareFamily Name: Asteraceae (Compositae) - Aster or Sunflower FamilyIdentification NotesLife Cycleintroduced biennial, reproducing by seed Stemsupright, branching, spiny, hairy; appear winged as leaf base continues down stem Leaves alternate, lanceolate, coarse hairs above, fine hairs below; deep cut margins, lobes with stiff spines, some lobes at right angles to leaf Flowersheads of reddish-purple disk (tubulate) florets; spiny tipped bracts; terminal, solitary or clustered