Carthamus lanatus

Woolly distaff thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Woolly distaff thistle is a naturalized annual found in northern coastal California, central Sierra Nevada foothills, northern San Joaquin Valley, and central western California in disturbed ground, grasslands, and oak woodlands at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in spiny, woolly heads 25 to 35 millimeters wide. Growing 40 to 100 centimeters tall with straw-colored stems that are densely glandular and loosely cobwebby, it has a robust and distinctive appearance. Its cauline leaves are deeply lobed and very spiny, creating a formidable botanical profile with sharp, defensive structures. The fruit is small, brown, and approximately 4 to 6 millimeters long with a pappus 10 to 13 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Disturbed ground, grassland, oak woodland

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 1100 m

Bioregions: NCo, NCoRO, c SNF, n SnJV, CW (exc SCoRI)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.