Cirsium occidentale var. compactum

Compact cobwebby thistle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: biennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Compact cobwebby thistle is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native biennial found in northern San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties on coastal bluffs at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from February to July, this plant produces dark rose-purple flowers in dense, cobwebby heads up to 8 centimeters wide. Growing as a low, mound-like plant 3 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters with closely packed stems. Its leaves are large and closely subtend the flower heads, with the middle phyllary tips spreading and reaching 1 to 2 centimeters long. This distinctive thistle creates dense, low-growing clusters that blend seamlessly into coastal bluff landscapes.

Habitat: Bluffs

Bloom period: Feb-Jul

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: CCo (n San Luis Obispo, Monterey cos., formerly San Francisco).

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