SMALL TEASEL

Dipsacus pilosus

Teasel Family [Dipsacaceae]  

month8jul month8july month8Aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8white
 
inner
inner8brown
 
morph
morph8hemizygo
 
petals
petalsZ4
 
type
typeZclustered
 
type
typeZglobed
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8ribbed
 
stem
stem8spines stem8thorns
soft
sex
sexZbisexual
 

17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
Several specimens gathered together and grooving with a pict.


17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
The upper leaves are often pinnate with just one pair of leaflets each side of the leaf


17th Aug 2007, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
Much less frequent than Wild Teasel and at 1.5m only half the potential height of that. Leaves oblong, the upper narrower.


30th Aug 2005, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
The flower heads are glubular and extremely spiny, as are the thin stems.


17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
Although the spines on the stem (which have glands at their base) are soft the sharply pointed basal bracts between the flowers are quite sharp!.


30th Aug 2005, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
Flowers burst open from bulbous beginnings.


17th Aug 2007, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
Flowers have four white petals and four white stamens with brown/black anthers atop. The white petals are not radially symmetric; the lower petal bends down forming a lip.


17th Aug 2007, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
Bird's-eye view. Petals have fallen off from the topmost parts, leaving the fruiting-head to develop.


17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
The flower head is globular with the flowers all being approximately the same size, the epicalyx 4-sided.


30th Aug 2005, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
With all the petals having departed the spines on the fruit are all visible and sharp and hairy. Hairs directed outwards and upwards at c.45°.


30th Aug 2005, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
The sharp spines on the fruit (and flowerhead) are right-angled for stiffness. Hairs transparent.


17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
The lower leaves are simple.


17th Aug 2015, Cromford Canal, nr. Ambergate, Peak Dist. Photo: © RWD
Leaves have bluntish but rather irregularly-spaced and shaped sawtooth teeth.


17th Aug 2007, Cromford Canal, Whatstandwell. Photo: © RWD
The upper leaves often have a pair of leaflets at their base.


Slight resemblance to : the flower heads of a Globe-Thistle (Echinops exaltatus), but Globe-Thistles tend to have much larger heads, and are a different colour.

Similar to: Wild Teasel, Cut-Leaved Teasel and Yellow Teasel. which all belong in the same Genus, Dipsacus.

Inhabits damper woods, hedge-banks and sides of streams, and in the above case, a derelict canal.


  Dipsacus pilosus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Dipsacaceae  

Distribution
family8Teasel family8Dipsacacaea
 BSBI maps
genus8Dipsacus
Dipsacus
(Teasels)

SMALL TEASEL

Dipsacus pilosus

Teasel Family [Dipsacaceae]  

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