Cirsium scariosum |
Cirsium scariosum var. robustum |
|
---|---|---|
elk thistle, meadow thistle |
||
Habit | Herbaceous perennial from a taproot, often acaulescent, or the stem up to 1 m. tall, thick and succulent, tapering slightly upward, somewhat spider-webby. | Herbaceous perennial from a taproot, often acaulescent, or the stem up to 1 m. tall, thick and succulent, tapering slightly upward, somewhat spider-webby. |
Leaves | Leaves numerous in a basal rosette in the acaulescent form, alternate in the cauline form; leaves spider-webby on the upper surface, slightly woolly below, weakly spiny, coarsely toothed to pinnatifid, broadly linear. |
Leaves numerous in a basal rosette in the acaulescent form, alternate in the cauline form; leaves spider-webby on the upper surface, slightly woolly below, weakly spiny, coarsely toothed to pinnatifid, broadly linear. |
Flowers | Heads densely clustered at the top of the stem, over-topped by the subtending leaves; involucre 2-3.5 cm. high, nearly glabrous, its bracts broad, well imbricate, the outer with short, erect spine tip, the inner less spiny and often with a scarious, fringed tip; flowers all tubular and perfect, the corollas whitish to pale pink or purplish, unequally cleft, the deepest sinuses 5-8 mm. deep, the tube about twice as long as the throat. |
Heads densely clustered at the top of the stem, over-topped by the subtending leaves; involucre 2-3.5 cm. high, nearly glabrous, its bracts broad, well imbricate, the outer with short, erect spine tip, the inner less spiny and often with a scarious, fringed tip; flowers all tubular and perfect, the corollas whitish to pale pink or purplish, unequally cleft, the deepest sinuses 5-8 mm. deep, the tube about twice as long as the throat. |
Fruits | Achene. |
Achene. |
Cirsium scariosum |
Cirsium scariosum var. robustum |
|
Flowering time | June-August | June-August |
Habitat | Wet meadows, moist, sometimes alkaline ground, and forest openings from the foothills to fairly high elevations in the mountains. | Wet meadows, moist, sometimes alkaline ground, and forest openings from the foothills to fairly high elevations in the mountains. |
Distribution | Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
|
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains. |
Origin | Native | Native |
Conservation status | Not of concern | Not of concern |
Sibling taxa | ||
Web links |
|
|