Cirsium quercetorum
Brownie thistle, Brownie Thistle
(c) Eric in SF, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cirsium quercetorum (Brownie thistle) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by low mounded growth and short spines diagnostic.
Brownie thistle is a California native perennial herb found in coastal and central California bioregions including northern Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern Coast Ranges in open grasslands and woodlands at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces white to purple flowers in clustered heads 2.5 to 5 centimeters wide with delicate, tightly appressed phyllary spines. Growing as a low, rounded mound 5 to 20 centimeters tall with sparse branching, it has runner roots that create compact clusters. Its leaves are distinctively variable, with lower leaves up to 35 centimeters long, partially lobed, and covered in gray woolly tomemtum on the underside and lighter green on top. The plant's small spines and compact growth form make it a charming, low-profile thistle characteristic of California's coastal grassland environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; low mounded growth and short spines diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open places, grassland, woodland
Elevation: < 500 m
Bloom period
Cirsium quercetorum blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Carduus: Cirsium has fluffy, feathery seed tufts; Carduus has rough bristles or no pappus and continuous spiny wings down the stem.; vs Silybum: Cirsium leaves are plain green; Silybum has bright white marbling along the leaf veins.; vs Sonchus: Cirsium has thistle-type flowers with spine-tipped bracts; Sonchus has dandelion-like flowers and milky sap.; vs Cynara: Cirsium heads are 1-6 cm across; Cynara heads are massive (4-15 cm, tennis ball sized) with fleshy bases.; vs Centaurea: Cirsium has linear bracts without appendages; Centaurea bracts have fringed or comb-like tips.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cirsium quercetorum native to California?
Yes. Cirsium quercetorum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cirsium quercetorum bloom?
Cirsium quercetorum blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Cirsium quercetorum belong to?
Cirsium quercetorum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Cirsium.
What habitat does Cirsium quercetorum grow in?
Cirsium quercetorum grows in Open places, grassland, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.