Species

Dipsacus sylvestris

Common Name(s)

wild teasel

Family

Dipsacaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

DIPSYL

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Similar Taxa

Wild teasel grows to about 1.8 m with elongated dark green leaves and a white midrib. These are joined tightly at the stem opposite to another leaf. The base of the stem itself is square and ridged with spines running along the length but these are particularly noticeable towards the flower head. The seed head is almost conical with sharp spines covering the entire flower surface. These are pale green and they turn wheat brown as the head dies and dries. The narrow and tapering bracts curve around the oval seed head. Small violet-pink flowers appear between the curved bracts in mid to late summer. (Ermert and Clapp 1998)

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Violet / Purple

Year Naturalised

1878

Origin

S., W., and C. Europe, to Ukraine and Iran

Reproduction
Wild teasel self-seeds quite freely.

Dispersal
Wind.

This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010