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peregrine thistle

Habit Plants biennial or perennial, 2.5–12 dm; taprooted, sometimes with creeping roots.
Stems

usually 1, sparsely to densely arachnoid-villous, often also tomentose to glabrate.

Leaves

oblanceolate to elliptic, 10–40(50) × 3–12 cm;

margins 1–2-pinnate;

spines 2–7 mm;

surfaces glabrate to arachnoid-tomentose; abaxial veins prominent; straw-colored;

basal usually present at flowering, sessile, clasping, decurrent, or petiolate.

Involucres

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3.5 × 1.5–5 cm, glabrate to thinly tomentose.

Florets

corollas 20–38 mm, cream-colored to purple;

tubes 8–15 mm;

throats 5.5–12 mm;

lobes 5.5–7 mm;

style tips 4–6(7) mm.

Phyllaries

with glutinous ridges;

tips ascending to spreading;

spines fine, 2–4 mm.

Fruits

5–8 mm; light to dark brown;

pappi 15–25 mm.

Heads

1–few.

Cirsium flodmanii

Cirsium cymosum

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Western United States. 2 varieties.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 225
Bridget Chipman
Sibling taxa
C. andersonii, C. arvense, C. brevifolium, C. brevistylum, C. ciliolatum, C. cymosum, C. douglasii, C. eatonii, C. edule, C. edule x Cirsium remotifolium, C. inamoenum, C. occidentale, C. ochrocentrum, C. remotifolium, C. scariosum, C. undulatum, C. vulgare
C. andersonii, C. arvense, C. brevifolium, C. brevistylum, C. ciliolatum, C. douglasii, C. eatonii, C. edule, C. edule x Cirsium remotifolium, C. inamoenum, C. occidentale, C. ochrocentrum, C. remotifolium, C. scariosum, C. undulatum, C. vulgare
Subordinate taxa
C. cymosum var. canovirens, C. cymosum var. cymosum
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