Golden Thistle (Scolymus hispanicus) (Nox)

Scientific name:	Scolymus hispanicus L.
Common Name:	Golden Thistle
Status:	Regionally Prohibited in the Glenelg-Hopkins and North East CMAs. Regionally Controlled in the North Central, Corangamite, Port Phillip & Westernport (East and West) and Goulburn Broken CMAs Restricted in the Mallee, Wimmera, West Gippsland East Gippsland CMA.
Habitat:	Warm temperate regions where it occurs on dry sites and soils ranging from poor gravels to fertile alluvial loams (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992). In Victoria, it has become a weed of grazing land and neglected areas where annual rainfall exceeds 400 mm (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992). It is regarded as weed in dryland pastures, vineyards and orchards (Parsons and Cuthbertson 1992).

Golden Thistle flower
(image courtesy Andy Steed)

Golden Thistle plant
(image courtesy Andy Steed)