Isotype of Onopordum corymbosumBoiss. [family COMPOSITAE ] Verified by Not on sheet, Onopordum tauricumWilld. [family COMPOSITAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Hein P., 2004
Related name
Onopordum corymbosum
Onopordum setensis
Onopordum teddianum
Onopordum illyricum
Onopordum tauricum
Common name
bull cottonthistle, Flora of North America Vol. 19
Taurian thistle, Flora of North America Vol. 19
Flora
Entry for Onopordum tauricum Willdenow [family COMPOSITAE]
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
jun-aug (summer), sep (fall)
Altitude range
600–2200 m;
Distribution
s Europesw Asia.USA Calif.USA Colo.
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.
