Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum
Southern meadow thistle
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum (Southern meadow thistle) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by branched stems and southern California range.
Southern meadow thistle is a California native perennial found in the Tehama, Western Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in meadows and forest openings with damp soil at elevations of 400 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces white to faintly purple-tinged flowers in heads 2.5 to 4 centimeters wide, subtended by a basal rosette. Growing with stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall that are generally branched throughout, it forms a distinctive thistle-like structure. Its leaves are glabrous on the upper surface, with main leaf spines 2 to 7 millimeters long, and can be sparsely tomentose on the lower surface. The plant's delicate white flower heads and branching habit make it a distinctive inhabitant of California's moist woodland openings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; branched stems and southern California range help distinguish
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, damp soil, openings in forest
Elevation: 400-2000 m
Bloom period
Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum blooms May-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 scariosum var. citrinum native to California?
Yes. Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum bloom?
Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum belong to?
Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum is in the Asteraceae family, genus Cirsium.
What habitat does Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum grow in?
Cirsium scariosum var. citrinum grows in Meadows, damp soil, openings in forest.
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.