Cirsium cymosum var. canovirens

Gray-green thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Gray-green thistle is a California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in sagebrush scrubland, grassland, woodland, and open forest at elevations of 1,350 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces heads with pale to purple flowers approximately 15 to 25 millimeters in diameter, featuring distinctive sticky-resinous phyllaries that appear dark brown when dried. Growing with an erect habit from a deep taproot, the thistle develops stems that support its characteristic flower clusters. Its leaves are likely deeply lobed and potentially spiny, typical of thistles, with a grayish-green coloration that reflects its descriptive common name. The plant's unique phyllary structure, with outer bracts significantly smaller than inner bracts, provides a distinctive identification feature for botanists and plant enthusiasts.

Habitat: Sagebrush scrubland, grassland, woodland, open forest

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: 1350-2300 m

Bioregions: MP

California counties: Modoc, Tulare, Siskiyou, Alpine, Mono, Tuolumne, Plumas, Kern

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