Editing Carduus (section)

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the daisy family}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Carduus crispus - Keila.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Carduus crispus]]''
|display_parents = 3
|taxon = Carduus
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = 90+, see text
|synonyms =
*''Clavena'' <small>[[Augustin Pyramus de Candolle|DC.]] (1838)</small>
*''Clomium'' <small>[[Michel Adanson|Adans.]] (1763)</small>
*''Onopyxus'' {{small|Bubani (1899), nom. superfl.}}
*''Orthocentron'' {{small|Cass. (1825)}}
*''Polycantha'' {{small|Hill (1762)}}
*''Pternix'' {{small|Hill (1762)}}
|synonyms_ref = <ref name = powo>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:330047-2 ''Carduus'' L.] ''[[Plants of the World Online]]''. Retrieved 1 June 2024.</ref>
}}

'''''Carduus''''' is a genus of [[flowering plant]]s in the family [[Asteraceae]], and the tribe [[Cardueae]], one of two genera considered to be true thistles, the other being ''[[Cirsium]]''.<ref>Jordon-Thaden, I. E. and S. M. Louda. (2003). [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1084&context=bioscifacpub Chemistry of ''Cirsium'' and ''Carduus'': a role in ecological risk assessment for biological control of weeds?] ''Biochemical Systematics and Ecology'' 31(12), 1353-96.</ref> Plants of the genus are known commonly as '''plumeless thistles'''.<ref name=itis>[https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=35783 ''Carduus''.] Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).</ref><ref name=fna>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=105640 ''Carduus''.] Flora of North America.</ref> They are native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa,<ref name = powo/> and several are known elsewhere as [[introduced species]].<ref name=fna/> This genus is noted for its disproportionately high number of [[noxious weed]]s compared to other flowering plant genera.<ref>Schmidt, J. P. and J. M. Drake. (2011). [http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0018654 Why are some plant genera more invasive than others?] ''PLOS One'' 6(4), e18654.</ref>