Cirsium andersonii
Encyclopedia
Cirsium andersonii is a species of thistle
known by the common names Anderson's thistle and rose thistle. It is native to California
and Nevada
, where it grows in the woodlands and forest openings of the local high mountain ranges, including the southern reaches of the Cascade Range
. It has also been reported from Idaho
. This native thistle is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height approaching one meter. It produces one to multiple stems, simple or branching, which may be hairless to quite woolly. The deeply lobed and sharply cut leaves are borne on spiny-winged petioles
, the longest toward the base of the plant reaching over 30 centimeters long. The inflorescence
bears one or more flower heads
, each up to 5 centimeters long by 4 wide at the largest. The head is lined with spiny, purple-tipped phyllaries
which curve outward. The head contains many red, purplish, or rose pink flowers, each up to 4.5 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene
with a brown body 6 or 7 millimeters long topped with a pappus
which may be 4 centimeters in length. The flower heads attract hummingbird
s.
Cirsium
Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more accurately known as Plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera in having feathered hairs to their achenes...
known by the common names Anderson's thistle and rose thistle. It is native to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it grows in the woodlands and forest openings of the local high mountain ranges, including the southern reaches of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. It has also been reported from Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. This native thistle is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height approaching one meter. It produces one to multiple stems, simple or branching, which may be hairless to quite woolly. The deeply lobed and sharply cut leaves are borne on spiny-winged petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, the longest toward the base of the plant reaching over 30 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears one or more flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
, each up to 5 centimeters long by 4 wide at the largest. The head is lined with spiny, purple-tipped phyllaries
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
which curve outward. The head contains many red, purplish, or rose pink flowers, each up to 4.5 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
with a brown body 6 or 7 millimeters long topped with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
which may be 4 centimeters in length. The flower heads attract hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s.