distaff thistles

genus Carthamus

Member of thistles
sunflower family (family Asteraceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

There are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

woolly distaff thistle
Carthamus lanatus

woolly distaff thistle
Carthamus lanatus

corolla yellow
cauline leaves ± deeply lobed, very spiny
outer phyllaries generally 1.5 × inner
herbage loosely cobwebby to ± woolly
stem straw-colored
uncommon

smooth distaff thistle
Carthamus creticus

corolla yellow
cauline leaves ± deeply lobed, very spiny
outer phyllaries generally 2 × inner
herbage ± sparsely hairy
stem white
uncommon

safflower
Carthamus tinctorius

corolla yellow to red
cauline leaves dentate, weakly spiny
extremely rare in Morgan Hill

1 observed taxon / 2 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 1 (research grade)

Locations:

Almaden Quicksilver CP

Months:

Jun.: 1

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora