Bastard Nodding Thistle vs Curled Thistle

Carduus acanthoides compared with Carduus crispus

Key Differences

• Bastard Nodding Thistle is Near Threatened while Curled Thistle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bastard Nodding Thistle	Curled Thistle
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family same	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus same	Carduus	Carduus
Species	Carduus acanthoides	Carduus crispus

Evolutionary Relationship

Bastard Nodding Thistle and Curled Thistle share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Carduus.

Conservation Status

Bastard Nodding Thistle

NT — Near Threatened

Curled Thistle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bastard Nodding Thistle	Curled Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bastard Nodding Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (4 countries), Europe (18 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Curled Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, North Korea), Europe (7 countries), and North America (Canada, United States).

Bastard Nodding Thistle

The Bastard Nodding Thistle (Carduus acanthoides) is a species in the genus Carduus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States