Friday, June 25, 2004

Onopordum acanthium, Scotch thistle Thistles thistles thistles ... Along with the poison hemlock, Scotch thistle is an introduced species from Europe (and the bane of our local existence). But we're afflicted with thistles of every stripe (see the lovely snow thistles below). Even the tumbleweeds that turn up on autumn winds are actually "Russian thistle." These grow in the same community with the others but are so different looking I don't see how they, too, can be Scotch thistles. I'll have to track them down. But you can tell that thistles came on big time this year. I've managed to take out about a third of them from this llama pasture area. but one loses enthusiasm after a while. You even "get" what the Round-up enthusiasts see in the stuff. But then you see something like this. And for about half a second, it's OK. 12:55:34 PM    comment [] Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) This is our hemlock. Remember the drink that killed Socrates? Same thing. From the Idaho's Noxious Weeds by Robert H. Callihan & Timothy W. Miller (no, we're not in Idaho; same plant, though): Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is native to Europe. It contains highly poisonous alkaloids toxic to all classes of livestock and humans. It has poisoned many who have mistaken it for parsley. Poison hemlock is often found on poorly drained soils, particularly near streams, ditches, and other surface water. 11:52:53 AM    comment []

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