Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis
Pacific fringed thistle
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis (Pacific fringed thistle) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by scarious toothed phyllary tips.
Pacific fringed thistle is a California native perennial found in northwestern California and northern San Francisco Bay bioregions in grassy areas, woodland openings, and forests, occasionally on serpentine at elevations below 1,850 meters. Flowering from June to September, this thistle produces cream or purple flowers with blossoms 17 to 25 millimeters long featuring distinctive fringed phyllaries. Growing with erect stems that form open, branching inflorescences, it develops a robust herbaceous structure typical of thistles. Its leaves are deeply lobed and divided, with irregular serrated edges that contribute to its distinctive thistle-like appearance. The flower heads feature graduated phyllaries with expanded, scarious margins that are irregularly toothed, giving the plant its characteristic fringed texture.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; scarious toothed phyllary tips are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy areas, openings in woodland, forests, occasionally on serpentine
Elevation: < 1850 m
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis blooms Jun-Sep.
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 remotifolium var. odontolepis native to California?
Yes. Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis bloom?
Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis belong to?
Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Cirsium.
What habitat does Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis grow in?
Cirsium remotifolium var. odontolepis grows in Grassy areas, openings in woodland, forests, occasionally on serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.