Meadow Thistle
CRCritically Endangered

Meadow Thistle

Cirsium dissectum

Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirsium_dissectum

01Classification

Taxonomy & Classification

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Asterales

Family

Asteraceae

Genus

Cirsium

Meadow Thistle belongs to the family Asteraceae, order Asterales, within the Magnoliopsida class.

02Description

Species Profile

Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Meadow Thistle faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and drainage of wetland areas. The species' specialized requirements for nutrient-poor, wet grasslands make it particularly vulnerable to changes in land management practices and hydrological conditions.

Key Facts

IUCN StatusCritically Endangered (CR)
GroupPlants
03Habitat

Habitat & Distribution

Wet, nutrient-poor grasslands, meadows, and marshy areas, particularly in lowland regions with seasonal flooding or high water tables. The species requires specific soil conditions with low fertility and consistent moisture levels.

TERRESTRIALMajorTERRESTRIALMajor
04Threats

Threats

!

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Meadow Thistle faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and drainage of wetland areas. The species' specialized requirements for nutrient-poor, wet grasslands make it particularly vulnerable to changes in land management practices and hydrological conditions.

Agricultural intensification and conversion

HighOngoing

Drainage and hydrological modification

HighOngoing

Eutrophication from fertilizer runoff

HighOngoing

Habitat fragmentation

HighOngoing

Changes in grazing management

MediumOngoing
Community

Community Sightings

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07Sources

Sources & Attribution

How to Cite

IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS

GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org

This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/meadow-thistle

Full citation guide & data usage terms