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Flodman Thistle

Cirsium flodmanii (Rydb.) Arthur

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

▲basal rosette leaves

▲▼mature, flowering plants

▲▼mature, flowering plants  

▲▼mature, flowering plants  

 

▲mature, flowering plants  

▲ stems and leaves

▲▼ inflorescences/flowers

▲▼ closer view of inflorescences/flowers 

 

▲▼ closer view of inflorescences/flowers  

 

▲▼ closer view of inflorescences/flowers  

 

Cirsium flodmannii (Rydb.) Arthur, Flodman Thistle:  (Bayer Code:  CIRFL; US Code CIFL)

·         Native creeping perennials with creeping roots that grow 1-4 feet tall

·         Stems and leaves often gray-green, grayish or whitish due to dense to moderate presence of soft white hairs; stems with few or no branches

·         Leaves are oval to lanceolate in outline, deeply-lobed with spine-tipped lobes and margins, and margins or lobes often curved upward or toward tip of leaf; early-growth basal leaves often dried by flowering

·         Inflorescence heads are 1-2 inches diameter, with pinkish-purple ray flowers; flowering in summer (June to September)

·         Base of head-inflorescence is urn-shaped, with lanceolate bracts with whitish to pinkish midvein; bracts end in outward pointing tan to yellow

·         Similar white-stemmed and white-leaved native thistles tend to have white (Platte thistle) or lighter purple (Wavyleaf thistle and Yellowspine thistle) flowers

·         Non-native Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) also can have whitish stems and leaves, but it will have very large leaves, purplish flowers that have a cup-shaped (rather tan urn-shaped) flower head base and large, spiny, leafy wings along the stems

 

This is one of the native thistles that is sometimes mistaken for an invasive thistle species.  Native thistles provide food and nectar for native insects (including bees and butterflies), birds and other animals, and generally should not be killed indiscriminately.  Maintaining proper grazing levels can often reduce their unwanted increase in pastures and rangeland.

 

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Updated January 24, 2019