Cutleaf Teasel

Dipsacus laciniatus

DIP-suh-kus  la-sin-ee-AY-tus

Synonyms of Dipsacus laciniatus (4) (Updated on 12-11-23 from Plants of the World Online): Dipsacus fullonum subsp. laciniatus (L.) Thell. (1912), Dipsacus laciniatus var. comosus Nábělek (1923), Dipsacus microcephalus Martrin-Donos (1862), Dipsacus sylvestris subsp. laciniatus (L.) Berher (1887)(nom. illeg.)

Dipsacus laciniatus L. is the accepted scientific name for the Cutleaf Teasel. The genus and species were named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-11-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 21 species in the Dipsacus genus. It is a member of the plant family Caprifoliaceae with 33 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map of Dipsacus laciniatus is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. The red area is where it is believed to be extinct. The map on the USDA Plants Database for North America is similar but doesn’t include Montana or Tennessee.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND BETTER POSITIVE ID.

I don’t have any of these plants growing on the farm in Windsor, Missouri, which is in Pettis County. Henry County is across the street but when reporting sightings on my farm I have to use Pettis County as my location. However, these photos were taken on a friend’s farm in Johnson County which is maybe around 12 miles away from where I live. Dipsacus laciniatus, the Cut-Leaf Teasel, is one of the many species I don’t remember as a kid or even that much after I moved back to the family farm in 2013. As I became more interested in wildflower ID, I noticed several colonies of these plants growing in ditches along the highways and the colonies are spreading.

Each flower stem produces a single flower head that is approximately 2-4” long x 1 1/2” in diameter. (5-10 cm x 2-4 cm). Each head produced several hundred flowers that have long, narrow bracts, 2-4”, that are sharply pointed. The heads start flowering in the center, then in both directions.

The lanceolate or narrowly ovate leaves grow about 4” wide x 1” long, are pinnately lobed and toothed. Plants do not flower their first season. In the second season, one or more flowering stalks grow from the rosette and reach 2-6 feet tall. The clasping leaves growing from the stems are smaller than the basal leaves. The strong stems can be round or angular, have hooked to straight prickles, and branch out toward the top.

Plants in the above photo were in another area in a ditch along the highway. They must have been first-season plants because they produced no flowers in 2019.

This European native has spread aggressively wherever it has been introduced displacing many native species. They are a neat-looking plant but once established they can become quite invasive.

The seed heads are great in dried arrangements but make sure to shake the dried heads well in the trash can so they won’t accidentally come up somewhere.

Be sure to check out the links below for further reading and more technical ID information.

I have enjoyed photographing and learning about the many wildflowers growing on the farm and in other areas. I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the blog). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a horticulturalist I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
iNATURALIST
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
GO BOTANY
INVASIVE PLANT ATLAS

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂