Linnaeus, C. (1 May 1753), Species Plantarum 2: 827 [tax. nov.]

• Type: "Habitat in Europae ruderatis, cultis."

Mueller, F.J.H. von (20 October 1853), First general report of the Government Botanist on the vegetation of the colony. Victoria - Parliamentary Papers- Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly: 15 [secondary reference]

Bentham, G. (5 January 1867), Orders XLVIII. Myrtaceae- LXII. Compositae. Flora Australiensis 3: 458 [secondary reference]

Abbot, F. (1879), Thistles, notes on Carduus arvensis. Papers and Proceedings and Report of the Royal Society of Tasmania: 77 [secondary reference]

Tate, R. (1883), The botany of Kangaroo Island. Transactions, proceedings and report, Royal Society of South Australia 6: 143 [secondary reference]

Mueller, F.J.H. von (1888), Supplement to the enumeration of Victorian Plants?. Key to the System of Victorian Plants: 534 [secondary reference]

Hamilton, A.G. (1892), On the effect which settlement in Australia has produced upon indigenous vegetation. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 26: 235 [secondary reference]

Black, J.M. (1929), Bignoniaceae - Compositae. Flora of South Australia 4: 654, Fig. 314 [secondary reference]

common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

Black, J.M. & Robertson, E.L. (1957), Flora of South Australia Edn. 2, 4: 935, Fig. 1241 [secondary reference]

common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

Curtis, W.M. (1963), Angiospermae: Lythraceae to Epacridaceae. The Student's Flora of Tasmania 2: 377 [secondary reference]

common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

Burbidge, N.T. & Gray, M. (1970), Flora of the Australian Capital Territory: 392, Fig. 393. [secondary reference]

common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L. & Leigh, J.H. (1981), Plants of Western New South Wales: 725 [secondary reference]

common name: Woolly Thistle [n/a] common name: Cotton Thistle [n/a] common name: Heraldic Thistle [n/a] common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

Jacobs, S.W.L. & Pickard, J. (1981), Plants of New South Wales: 83 [secondary reference]

Gray, M. & Michael, P.W. (1986), List of plants collected at the old Flemington Saleyards, Sydney, New South Wales. Plant Protection Quarterly 1(4): 137 [secondary reference]

common name: Cotton thistle [n/a]

Anonymous (1990), The 1989-90 Annual Report of the Botany Branch and the Queensland Herbarium. Botany Focus: 19 [secondary reference]

CHAH (2008), Australian Plant Census: - [secondary reference]

• APC Dist.: SA (naturalised), NSW (naturalised), ACT (naturalised), Vic (naturalised), Tas (naturalised)

CHAH (2011), Australian Plant Census: - [secondary reference]

• APC Dist.: SA (naturalised), NSW (naturalised), ACT (naturalised), Vic (naturalised), Tas (naturalised)

CHAH (2014), Australian Plant Census: - [secondary reference]

nomenclatural synonym: Onopordum acanthium L. subsp. acanthium legitimate

• APC Comment: Hybrids between Onopordum illyricum and O. acanthium have been recorded from NSW.
• APC Dist.: SA (naturalised), NSW (naturalised), ACT (naturalised), Vic (naturalised), Tas (naturalised)

Bean, A.R. in Wilson, A.J.G. (ed.) (2015), Asteraceae Subfam. 2. Carduoideae Trib. 1. Cardueae. Flora of Australia 37: 65, map [secondary reference]

common name: Cotton Thistle [n/a] common name: Scotch Thistle [n/a]

CHAH (2016), Australian Plant Census: - APC [secondary reference]

orthographic variant: Onopordon acanthium F.Muell. orth. var. nomenclatural synonym: Onopordum acanthium L. subsp. acanthium legitimate

• APC Comment: Treated as O. acanthium subsp. acanthium in NSW
• APC Dist.: SA (naturalised), NSW (naturalised), ACT (naturalised), Vic (naturalised), Tas (naturalised)

de Salas, M.F. & Baker, M.L. (2016), A Census of the Vascular Plants of Tasmania, including Macquarie Island: 20 [secondary reference]

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