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woolly distaff thistle
Scientific Name: Carthamus lanatus
Family: Asteraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Annual
Other Names:
Woolly Distaff Thistle: An Overview
Carthamus lanatus, commonly known as woolly distaff thistle, downy safflower, or saffron thistle, is a notable plant species with particular considerations for its presence and characteristics.
Considerations for Pets and Children
- This plant has spiny bracts and leaves, potentially causing discomfort if handled.
- The plant is generally unpalatable to domestic animals and wildlife.
Scientific Name and Common Names
- Scientific Name: Carthamus lanatus L.
- Common Names: Woolly distaff thistle, saffron thistle, woolly safflower, woolly starthistle, distaff thistle, downy safflower
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Family: Asteraceae
- Synonyms: distaff thistle, saffron thistle
- Subspecies: Carthamus lanatus ssp. creticus (L.) Holmboe
Distribution and Habitat
Woolly distaff thistle is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and central Europe.
Ecological Role
- This species is considered an aggressive rangeland pest, particularly in areas where it is not native.
- It displaces forage plants, reducing available food for livestock and wildlife.
- Its presence can hinder access to rangelands due to its spiny nature.
- Prolific infestations may impact organic certification for agricultural producers.
Morphological Characteristics
- It is a winter annual forb (herbaceous flowering plant) that can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall.
- Stems are pale green, hairy, and rigid, with branching in the upper portion. Stems are straw colored and often covered with loose, woolly, cobwebby hairs, especially in leaf axils and at the base.
- Leaves are alternate, pinnate, and stiff. Leaves have long stout marginal and terminal spines.
- Flowers are yellow and similar in appearance to yellow starthistle flowers. Flowerheads are solitary at the stem tips and composed of many yellow flowers. Bracts at the base of the flowerheads are spiny.
- The plant persists after it has died.
- It is spinescent, rosetted, taprooted, typically 1-stemmed at the base, and mostly unbranched.
Quirky Facts
- Despite being generally unpalatable, there is a mention of cows at a ranch eating Distaff thistle from black tubs, indicating a potential, if unusual, feed source under specific circumstances.
Further Information
For more details, you can refer to resources such as:
- Weed Science (wsweedscience.org)
- California Invasive Species Council (cal-ipc.org)
- USDA PLANTS Database (identified by the symbol CALA20)
- Invasive Plant Atlas