Dwarf Thistle
CR

Dwarf Thistle

Cirsium acaulon

Unknown

Photo: iNaturalist: (c) glebnsk, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Overview

Cirsium acaule or acaulon has the English name dwarf thistle or stemless thistle. It is widespread across much of Europe. It is often found on short, calcerous grasslands.

Dwarf Thistle (Cirsium acaulon) faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized chalk grassland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in traditional grazing practices have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable short-turf calcareous grasslands that this species requires.

Threat summary

Habitat

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Asteraceae

CR

armfibbla

Hieracium manocolum

Unknown
CR

Salmea umbratilis

Unknown
CR

spenatfibbla

Hieracium daniciforme

Unknown
CR

Mikania tristachya

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Dwarf Thistle classified as Critically Endangered?
Dwarf Thistle is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Dwarf Thistle (Cirsium acaulon) faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized chalk grassland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in traditional grazing practices have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable short-turf calcareous grasslands that this species requires.
Where does Dwarf Thistle live?
Dwarf Thistle occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Dwarf Thistle?
The main threats to Dwarf Thistle are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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