Onopordum tauricum

Willdenow

Sp. Pl. 3: 1687. 1803.

Common names: Taurian thistle bull cottonthistle
WeedyIntroduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 88. Mentioned on page 87.

Plants 50–200 cm, herbage glandular-puberulent, sticky throughout. Stems: wings 0.5–2 cm wide. Leaves 10–30 cm, margins shallowly to deeply 1–2-pinnatifid, with 6–8 pairs of acutely triangular lobes, thinly arachnoid tomentose when young. Heads mostly borne singly at branch tips. Involucres ± spheric, 20–50 mm diam (excluding spines), base truncate to concave. Phyllaries lanceolate, bases 3–4 mm wide, glabrous or glandular-puberulent, sometimes ± cobwebby-tomentose, spines to 4 mm. Corollas purplish pink, 25–30 mm. Cypselae 5–6 mm; pappi of many whitish to tan, scabrous or minutely barbed bristles 8–10 mm. 2n = 34 (Russia).


Phenology: Flowering summer (Jun–Sep).
Habitat: Grasslands, arid woodlands, riparian areas, roadsides, agricultural lands
Elevation: 600–2200 m

Distribution

V19-38-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; Calif., Colo., s Europe, sw Asia.

Discussion

Taurian thistle is a noxious weed in California and Colorado. In southeastern Colorado it sometimes grows with Onopordum acanthium. Putative hybrids have been observed in this area.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Onopordum tauricum"
David J. Keil +
Willdenow +
Asteraceae tribe Cynareae +
Taurian thistle +  and bull cottonthistle +
Calif. +, Colo. +, s Europe +  and sw Asia. +
600–2200 m +
Grasslands, arid woodlands, riparian areas, roadsides, agricultural lands +
Flowering summer (Jun–Sep). +
Weedy +  and Introduced +
Compositae +
Onopordum tauricum +
Onopordum +
species +