Mojave Thistle

Elevation: 4,200ft.

Elevation: 4,200ft.

Elevation: 4,200ft.

Growing to well over 2 meters tall in this location

Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.

Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.

Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.Leaf: +- densely tomentose, especially abaxially; proximal 1.5--6 dm, spiny-petioled, elliptic to oblanceolate, toothed to deeply lobed, lobes generally rigidly spreading, simple or with 1--2 pairs of coarse teeth or 2 lobes, main spines 3--20 mm; middle and distal smaller, narrower, conspicuously decurrent as spiny wings, distal-most much reduced, often long-acuminate, generally very spiny, spines 4--30 mm.

Inflorescence: heads in loose to crowded flat-topped or panicle-like clusters (occasionally on short axillary branches); peduncle leafy, 0--10 cm; involucre 1.5--2.5 cm, 1.5--2 cm diam, +- ovoid, +- loosely tomentose, becoming glabrous; phyllaries graduated, ovate (outer) to lance-ovate (middle), appressed, midribs often with sticky-resinous ridge, tip-spines 3--7 mm, ascending or spreading.

Inflorescence: heads in loose to crowded flat-topped or panicle-like clusters (occasionally on short axillary branches); peduncle leafy, 0--10 cm; involucre 1.5--2.5 cm, 1.5--2 cm diam, +- ovoid, +- loosely tomentose, becoming glabrous; phyllaries graduated, ovate (outer) to lance-ovate (middle), appressed, midribs often with sticky-resinous ridge, tip-spines 3--7 mm, ascending or spreading.

involucre 1.5--2.5 cm, 1.5--2 cm diam, +- ovoid, +- loosely tomentose, becoming glabrous; phyllaries graduated, ovate (outer) to lance-ovate (middle), appressed, midribs often with sticky-resinous ridge, tip-spines 3--7 mm, ascending or spreading.

Flower: corolla 16--25 mm, white to pink or lavender, tube 7--12 mm, throat 4--7 mm, lobes 4--8 mm; style tip 3--4 mm. Fruit: 3--6 mm; pappus 14--16 mm.

Flower: corolla 16--25 mm, white to pink or lavender, tube 7--12 mm, throat 4--7 mm, lobes 4--8 mm; style tip 3--4 mm. Fruit: 3--6 mm; pappus 14--16 mm.