Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Carthamus lanatus L.

Family

Asteraceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Compositae (South Australia)

Common Names

distaff thistle, saffron thistle, woolly distaff thistle, woolly safflower, woolly star thistle, woolly star-thistle

Origin

Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region (i.e. Egypt, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, western Russia, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia, France and Portugal).

Naturalised Distribution

This species is very widely naturalised throughout southern and central Australia (i.e. throughout most of New South Wales and Victoria, in southern and central Queensland, in the southern and eastern parts of South Australia, in the southern and western parts of Western Australia, in the southern parts of the Northern Territory, and in Tasmania and the ACT. Also widely naturalised in other parts of the world.

Notes

Though this species is primarily a weed of disturbed sites, roadsides and agricultural areas (i.e. crops and pastures), it is also widespread in rangelands and natural habitats (e.g. open woodlands, grasslands and conservation areas). Saffron thistle (Carthamus lanatus) is regarded as an environmental weed in all states and territories except Tasmania and is listed as a priority environmental weed in one Natural Resource Management region.