Cirsium lecontei
Cirsium douglasii
black or Le Conte's thistle, Le Conte's thistle
Brewer's thistle, California swamp or Douglas' thistle, Douglas' thistle, swamp thistle
1–few, erect, distal 1/2 nearly naked, loosely arachnoid;
branches 0–5(–10), stiffly ascending.
1–several, erect or ascending, densely gray-tomentose;
branches few–many, ascending to spreading.
blades linear to oblong or narrowly elliptic, 15–25 × 1–4 cm, coarsely toothed to shallowly pinnatifid, lobes undivided or coarsely few-toothed, main spines 3–6 mm, abaxial faces often ± glabrate, loosely arachnoid when young, adaxial glabrous or sparingly villous with coarse, multicellular trichomes;
basal sometimes absent at flowering, petiolate;
principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases clasping or ± decurrent;
distal cauline few, widely separated, bractlike.
blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 10–60 × 2–15 cm, unlobed or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes lanceolate to ovate-triangular, ascending to spreading, entire to coarsely dentate or lobed, main spines slender to stout, 2–30 mm, faces densely gray-tomentose, rarely glabrate;
basal present at flowering, petiolate;
principal cauline well distributed, proximal winged-petiolate, distal sessile, bases auriculate-clasping or decurrent as a spiny wing 1–3 cm;
distalmost well separated, bractlike.
5–30 cm (elevated above cauline leaves, not subtended by ring of involucre-like bracts).
0–4(–8) cm.
broadly cylindric to campanulate, 2.5–4 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely arachnoid, ± glabrate.
ovoid to hemispheric, 1.5–3 cm, 2–4.5 cm diam, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.
pink-purple, 22–45 mm, tubes 10–23 mm, throats 8–14 mm, lobes 7–10 mm;
style tips 4–5 mm.
rose-purple (white or pinkish-tinged), 18–21 mm, tubes 8–9 mm, throats 5–6 mm (abruptly expanded), lobes 5–6 mm;
style tips 3–4.5 mm.
in 6–10 series, imbricate, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, margins spinulose-serrulate, spines ascending, 0.5–2 mm;
apices of inner flat, linear- acuminate.
in 6–8 series, imbricate, often with dark purple patch near tip, ovate-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with linear to elliptic glutinous ridge;
outer and middle appressed, entire, spines spreading, 1–9 mm;
apices of inner often purple-tinged, often flexuous, flattened, spineless, scabrid.
borne singly or less commonly 2–5(–10) in open, corymbiform arrays.
10–many, often crowded at branch tips, collectively forming paniculiform arrays.
light brown, 5–5.75 mm, apical collars paler than body, ca. 0.75 mm;
pappi 20–40 mm.
dark brown to black, 5–6 mm, apical collars not differentiated;
pappi 15–20 mm.
= 28, 32.
Cirsium lecontei
Cirsium douglasii
Of conservation concern.
Cirsium lecontei occurs on the southern coastal plain. R. J. Moore and C. Frankton (1969) suggested that it originated as a derivative of ancient hybridization between the ancestors of C. horridulum and C. nuttallii. They further suggested a relationship between C. lecontei and C. grahamii of Arizona and hypothesized an ancient dispersal from the southeastern coastal plain to the western cordillera. Although such relationships are possible, I have seen little support for them in my examination of these taxa. I think it is more likely that C. lecontei, C. horridulum, and C. nuttallii originated from a common stock, and that the resemblances between C. lecontei and C. grahamii are a result of convergence.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Distal cauline leaves with larger spines mostly less than 7 mm | var. breweri |
1. Distal cauline leaves with larger spines usually 7–20 mm | var. douglasii |
LA Plants
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