Creeping thistle, Cirsium arvense.
Other names include Lettuce from hell thistle and Cursed thistle. It forms extensive colonies via an underground root system. Seeds have a feathery pappus which helps with wind dispersal. Seeds are important for Goldfinch and Linnet and used as a food by over 20 species of butterfly including Painted Lady. It’s an invasive species, present in the Wildlife Trail, which needs controlling to ensure it doesn’t dominate valuable meadow land. WT
