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yellowspine thistle
Scientific Name: Cirsium ochrocentrum ssp. ochrocentrum
Family: Asteraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Other Names:
Yellowspine Thistle (Cirsium ochrocentrum)
Cirsium ochrocentrum, commonly known as Yellowspine Thistle, is a species of thistle found in North America.
Considerations for Pets
- This plant features spines on the leaves and bracts, which could potentially cause discomfort if handled.
Considerations for Children
- This plant features spines on the leaves and bracts, which could potentially cause discomfort if handled.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Cirsium ochrocentrum A. Gray
- Common Name: Yellowspine Thistle, Yellow-spine Thistle
- Family: Asteraceae (Aster or Sunflower Family)
- Synonym: Yellowspine Thistle
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to the Great Plains of the Central United States, Arizona, and New Mexico.
- Also found in Oklahoma, specifically western Oklahoma.
- Grows in grasslands and pastures, such as those in southern Arizona (Coronado National Forest) and Oklahoma.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Biennial or perennial with tubrous creeping roots.
- Stems can grow to 2 1/2 feet (approximately 76 cm) tall, sometimes up to 4 1/2 feet.
- Stems can be simple or branched, covered in dense, short, white woolly hairs.
- Leaves are erect and grow close to the stem, with densely hairy white undersides. Leaves are 3 to 8 inches long, and have long yellowish spines
- Flower bracts have long spines on involucral bracts.
Quirky Facts
- The flower head of the yellowspine thistle is described as resembling a lavender starburst or snowflake when viewed from above.
- A decoction of the blossoms was traditionally used by the Kiowa as a wash for burns.
Ecological Role
- The plant is considered an invasive species in some regions.
- Provides seeds for goldfinches.
Interactions with other organisms
- The plant is known to interact with other native thistles, as several species reported from Yellow-spine thistle occur on native plants.
Further Information
- Discover Life hosts a page with information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Cirsium ochrocentrum.
- Images of Cirsium ochrocentrum are available in the CalPhotos Photo Database and the Brousseau Collection at University of California - Davis.