Cirsium cymosum

Peregrine thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Peregrine thistle is a California native perennial herb found in rocky and open areas at moderate elevations. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces dull white flowers in clusters with heads 2 to 3 centimeters wide, emerging from delicate, cobwebby stems. Growing 2.5 to 12 decimeters tall with generally branched stems, it develops distinctive runners or a deep taproot. Its leaves are complex, with lower leaves deeply lobed and measuring 1 to 2 decimeters long, featuring soft-jointed hairs and prominent raised veins on the underside. The plant's involucre is ovoid to hemispheric, with phyllaries having narrow, sticky-resinous ridges and short 2 to 4 millimeter spines.

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