Carthamus leucocaulos

Whitestem distaff thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Whitestem distaff thistle is a naturalized annual found in southern North Coast Ranges grasslands, apparently extirpated and occurring at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces pale purple flowers in heads 10 to 13 millimeters wide with prominently spiny phyllary tips. Growing 30 to 100 centimeters tall with generally shiny white stems that become nearly hairless, the plant develops a distinctive appearance. Its cauline leaves are deeply lobed and very spiny, creating a formidable texture along the stem. The fruit is small, brown, and 3 to 5 millimeters long with a pappus 5 to 7 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Grassland

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: s NCoR (apparently extirpated)

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