Eryngium castrense
Great valley coyote-thistle, Great Valley Coyote-Thistle
(c) Konshau Duman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eryngium castrense (Great valley coyote-thistle) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by bract spination pattern diagnostic.
Great valley coyote-thistle is a California native perennial found in the Sacramento Valley, northern and central Sierra Nevada foothill regions, eastern San Joaquin Valley, and eastern San Francisco Bay Area Diablo Range in vernal pools, wet swales, and intermittent streambeds at elevations below 900 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to faintly purple flowers in spherical heads 8 to 15 millimeters wide arranged in compact clusters. Growing with ascending to erect spiny stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall, it develops many branches above its basal rosette. Its deeply lobed leaves range 10 to 30 centimeters long, varying from oblong to lanceolate with complex pinnate or bipinnate divisions. The fruit is characterized by dense, unequal lanceolate scales that cover its 3 to 3.5 millimeter surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; bract spination pattern diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools, wet swales, intermittent streambeds
Elevation: < 900 m
California counties: Butte, Merced, Fresno, Santa Clara, Placer, Madera, Amador, Yuba, San Joaquin, Nevada, Stanislaus, Shasta, Sacramento, Tulare, Yolo, Calaveras, Lake, Tehama, Colusa, Tuolumne, Sutter, Glenn, Alameda, Mariposa, Kern, Contra Costa, Modoc, Napa, Solano, Monterey
Bloom period
Eryngium castrense blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Navarretia: Eryngium has compact button-like heads; Navarretia has looser clusters with spine-tipped bracts radiating outward.; vs Dipsacus: Eryngium flower heads are round or cylindrical when young; teasel heads are elongated egg-shaped from the start.; vs Cirsium: Eryngium leaves are firm and waxy; thistle leaves are softer with white woolly undersides.; vs Plantago: Eryngium grows in wetlands with spiny bracts under each flower; plantain has ribbed leaves and lacks spiny bracts.; vs Sanicula: Eryngium has a single bract under each flower and a thistle-like appearance; Sanicula lacks individual bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eryngium castrense native to California?
Yes. Eryngium castrense is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eryngium castrense bloom?
Eryngium castrense blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Eryngium castrense grow?
Eryngium castrense occurs in Butte, Merced, Fresno, Santa Clara, Placer, Madera, Amador, Yuba and other counties, at elevations of < 900 m.
What plant family does Eryngium castrense belong to?
Eryngium castrense is in the Apiaceae family, genus Eryngium.
What habitat does Eryngium castrense grow in?
Eryngium castrense grows in Vernal pools, wet swales, intermittent streambeds.
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.