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Cirsium vulgare is a species of thistle in the plant family Asteraceae. Native to Europe and Western Asia, it has become naturalised in North America, Africa and Australia, and is an invasive weed in some areas. It is a ruderal species, able to colonise bare ground, but also persists well on pasture as its thorny leaves and stems make it unpalatable to most grazing animals. The flowers are rich in nectar, attracting bees and butterflies, and the seeds are a favourite with goldfinches, linnets and greenfinches. The downy pappus, which assists in wind dispersal of the seeds, is used by birds as nest-lining material.Photograph credit: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma