Scotch thistle, Onopordum acanthium L., is native to Europe and Asia and is naturalized in many other parts of the world. It is considered a noxious weed in BC because of its ability to out-compete native and agronomic species. This specimen is the earliest to document the arrival and establishment of this species on Vancouver Island, and exemplifies how natural history collections such as herbaria are a valuable source of information about the movement of species across the globe.

This specimen was collected at Cowichan River on September 26, 1897 by James R. Anderson, the first Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Province of BC.