Cirsium neomexicanum (Desert thistle)

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Cirsium neomexicanum A. Gray

Desert thistle, New Mexico thistle, powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, Foss thistle

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Cirsium	From Greek kirsion, “a kind of thistle”
Species	neomexicanum	Of or from New Mexico

About plant names...

New Mexico thistle is native to the southwestern United States. It is commonly found in many desert habitats, at elevations of 2625-6890' (800-2100 m).

Plants: 16-114" (40-290 cm) high, on a tough, fibrous stalk that is erect or ascending, and somewhat or heavily branched.

Leaves: Basal leaves are oblong, forming a basal rosette 2-10" (5-25 cm) around. Leaf stems on lower leaves (petioles) are spiny, with narrow wings. Upper leaves lack stems (sessile). They are pinnate, up to 7" (17 cm) long, and tipped with sharp spines. They are greenish gray or whitish due to the presence of a dense network of fibers like thick spider webs.

Flowers: Flowerheads often have a single flower, though sometimes there is a small cluster. Flowers are pink, lavendar, or white, and up to 2" (5 cm) around. They consist of disc florets but no ray florets, resembling a soft brush like an old-style shaving brush. Flowers appear from April to May.

Fruits: A flat brown achene ~³/₁₆" (5-6 mm) in size, with a bristly pappus ½-⅞" (1.5-2.3 cm) long.

Online References:

Www.americansouthwest.net

Wildflowers, Ferns & Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Wikipedia

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

The Jepson Manual

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 21 × 31" (52 × 78 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 10 × 8" (25 × 20 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 10 × 15" (26 × 39 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 4 × 4" (10 × 11 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 4 × 4" (11 × 11 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 4 × 5" (10 × 13 cm)

Carduus inamoenus Greene

Cirsium arcuum A. Nelson

Cirsium neomexicanum A. Gray var. neomexicanum

Cirsium neomexicanum A. Gray var. utahense (Petr.) S.L. Welsh

Cirsium utahense Petr.

Cirsium wallowense M. Peck

Cirsium neomexicanum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 5 × 4½" (13 × 12 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 10 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 10 × 8" (26 × 20 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

5/3/2007 · Near Death Valley · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 17 × 21" (43 × 53 cm)

5/3/2007 · Near Death Valley · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 20 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 5 × 4½" (13 × 11 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 4 × 4½" (10 × 12 cm)

4/30/2018 · Black Canyon Road, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 3½ × 3½" (9.3 × 9.3 cm)

5/3/2018 · Barker Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 5 × 5" (12 × 13 cm)

Range:

About this map...