slender thistle

Carduus tenuiflorus

Member of plumeless thistles (genus Carduus)
thistles
sunflower family (family Asteraceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
purple, pale purple, pink in flowering plants

This species has subspecies or variants that don't seem worth distinguishing.

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• 5–20 heads per cluster
• involucre 1–2 cm diameter
• phyllaries generally ≤ 2 mm wide
• phyllary bases glabrous to sparsely tomentose
• common throughout the bay area

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Chris’s observations: 2 (none are research grade)

Locations:

• Santa Teresa CP
• Wilder Ranch SP

Months:

• Apr.: 1
• May: 1

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Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – CalPhotos – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora