Carduus centaureae Rydb.

  • Authority

    New York Botanical Garden. Herbarium of Dr. Per Axel Rydberg. Purchased, 1899. Contributions from the New York Botanical Garden.

  • Family

    Asteraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Carduus centaureae Rydb.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Biennial or perennial. Stem rather slender, 6-10 cm. high, striate, often tinged with red, slightl)' floccose when young: basal leaves about 2 dm. long, thin-petioled, deeply pinnatifid to near the midrib, above light green, sparingly floccose when young, glabrate in age, beneath more or less permanently grayish-tomentose; lobes lanceolate or triangular, 2-4 cm. long, more or less toothed and tipped with weak spines, 1-3 mm. long; lower stem-leaves similar but petiole more winged, dilated at the base and short decurrent; the upper sessile and clasping with an auricled base; the uppermost lanceolate and undivided: heads 2-2.5 cm. high and 1.5-2 cm. in diameter: outer bracts narrowly lanceolate, yellowish, often with darker center, fimbriate on the margin and tipped with a flat weak spine 1-2 mm. long: the inner with dilated deltoid scarious fimbriate tips which are merely acuminate: flowers ochroleucous.

  • Discussion

    This species may be the Cnicus Amcricanus A. Gray or Carduus Americamis Greene, but the name Amcricanus is preoccupied. The species is, however, not nearest related to C. Parryi, where Dr. Gray placed it ; but to C. leioccphalus and C. canovirens, from which it differs in the less spinose, more dilated and fimbriate bracts. A seedling of apparently this species was collected by Cowen and it has long oblanceolate 3-4 dm. long, undivided leaves. It grows at an altitude of 2200-2600 m.

    Colorado : Laramie County, 1895, J.H. Cowen ; 4-mile Hill, Routt County, 1896, C. F. Baker; Penn's Gulch, 1865, Letterman, 78.

  • Distribution

    Colorado

    Colorado United States of America North America|