Carthamus sp.
Distaff thistle, Distaff Thistle
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Carthamus sp. (Distaff thistle) is a non-native California annual in the Asteraceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Centaurea: Carthamus has spine-tipped leaf lobes and yellow to orange flowers; Centaurea has spine-tipped bracts but purple to pink flowers.; vs Cirsium: Carthamus has four-angled seeds with scale-like pappus; Cirsium has rounded seeds with feathery bristle pappus.; vs Carduus: Carthamus has yellow to orange flowers; Carduus has purple to pink flowers with feathery pappus bristles.; vs Scolymus: Carthamus has many-flowered heads with outer spiny bracts; Scolymus has large yellow ray flowers with spiny-winged stems.; vs Silybum: Carthamus has spine-tipped leaf lobes; Silybum has spine-edged leaves with distinctive white marbling or veining.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carthamus sp. native to California?
No. Carthamus sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Carthamus sp. belong to?
Carthamus sp. is in the Asteraceae family, genus Carthamus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.