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- Dipsacus laciniatus
Dipsacus laciniatus — cut-leaved teasel
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Facts
Cut-leaved teasel is a Eurasian import, entering North America in the eighteenth Century and now found in northern North America from Virginia to Colorado. In New England it is a visitor to fields, roadsides and waste areas in Massachusetts and Vermont.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Massachusetts
- Vermont
 
- Flower petal color
- 
                                
                                    - green to brown
- white
- yellow
 
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 4
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- 
                        Clonal plantlets- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
 - Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
 
- 
                        Flowers- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
 - Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
 - Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
 - Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
 - Corolla palate
- no
 - Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
 - Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
 - Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
 - Flower description
- the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium
 - Flower petal color
- 
                                
                                    - green to brown
- white
- yellow
 
 - Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
 - Flowers sunken into stem
- no
 - Form of style
- the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched
 - Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
 - Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
 - Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
 - Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
 - Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
 - Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
 - Number of pistils
- 1
 - Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
 - Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 - Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
 - Petal and sepal colors
- 
                                
                                    - green to brown
- white
- yellow
 
 - Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
 - Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
 - Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
 - Petal number
- 4
 - Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
 - Scales inside corolla
- no
 - Sepal and petal color
- 
                                
                                    - NA
- the sepals are different from the petals
 
 - Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
 - Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
 - Sepal number
- 4
 - Stamen attachment
- the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
 - Stamen number
- 4
 - Stamen position relative to petals
- the stamens are lined up with the sepals
 - Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
 - Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
 - Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- the upper lip of the bilabiate corolla has three lobes
 
- 
                        Fruits or seeds- Achene relative orientation
- the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)
 - Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
 - Achene type
- the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)
 - Berry color
- NA
 - Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
 - Capsule ribs
- NA
 - Capsule splitting
- NA
 - Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
 - Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Fruit locules
- one
 - Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
 - Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
 - Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
 - Mericarp length
- 0 mm
 - Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
 - Other markings on berry
- NA
 - Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
 - Placenta arrangement
- the plant has apical placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the top of a simple or compound ovary
 - Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
 - Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
 - Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
 - prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
 
- 
                        Glands or sap- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
 - Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
 - Sap color
- the sap is clear
 
- 
                        Growth form- Horizontal rooting stem
- the plant does not have stolons
 - Lifespan
- the plant lives for two years
 - Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
 - Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
 - Plants darken when dry
- no
 - Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
 
- 
                        Leaves- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
 - Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
 - Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
 - Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
 - Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
 - Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
 - Leaf blade length
- Up to 41 mm
 - Leaf blade shape
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
 
 - Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
 - Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
 - Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
 - Leaf spines
- there are spines along the leaf edges
 - Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 - Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
 - Leaflet petiolules
- NA
 - Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
 - Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 - Stipels
- NA
 - Stipule features
- NA
 - Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
 
- 
                        Place- Habitat
- terrestrial
 - New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Massachusetts
- Vermont
 
 - Specific habitat
- 
                                
                                    - man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
 
 
- 
                        Stem, shoot, branch- Branched tendrils
- NA
 - Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
 - Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
 - Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
 - Plant height
- 50–200 cm
 - Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
 - Tendril origin
- NA
 - Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
 
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Dipsacus laciniatus L. E
cut-leaved teasel. MA, VT. Fields, roadsides, waste areas.
Native to North America?
No
![Stems: Dipsacus laciniatus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2025 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/dipsacus-laciniatus-st-ahaines.jpg) 
                        ![Flowers: Dipsacus laciniatus. ~ By Gordon Morrison. ~ Copyright © 2025 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/dipsacus-laciniatus-fl-gmorrison.jpg) 
                        ![Fruits: Dipsacus laciniatus. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2025 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/dipsacus-laciniatus-fr-ahaines-a.jpg) 
                        ![Plant form: Dipsacus laciniatus. ~ By Frank Bramley. ~ Copyright © 2025 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Caprifoliaceae/dipsacus-laciniatus-ha-fbramley.jpg)