Cirsium japonicum

Cirsium japonicum, commonly known as Japanese thistle, plumed thistle, or sea thistle, is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is a perennial thistle native to eastern Asia, ranging from Japan to Korea, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.^[1]

Cirsium japonicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Cirsium
Species:	C. japonicum
Binomial name
Cirsium japonicum DC. (1838)
Varieties[1]
Cirsium japonicum f. arakii (Kitam.) Kitam. Cirsium japonicum var. diabolicum (Kitam.) Kadota Cirsium japonicum var. japonicum Cirsium japonicum var. maritimum Konta & Katsuy. Cirsium japonicum var. vestitum Kitam.
Synonyms[1]
Carduus eriophorus Thunb. (1784), nom. illeg., later homonym Carduus japonicus (DC.) Franch. (1883) Cnicus japonicus (DC.) Maxim. (1874)

Varieties

Five varieties are accepted.^[1]

• Cirsium japonicum f. arakii (Kitam.) Kitam. – Japan
• Cirsium japonicum var. diabolicum (Kitam.) Kadota – Japan (Honshu)
• Cirsium japonicum var. japonicum – China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam
• Cirsium japonicum var. maritimum Konta & Katsuy. – Japan (Honshu)
• Cirsium japonicum var. vestitum Kitam. – Japan (Honshu and Shikoku)