Musk Thistle, Carduus nutans
Family: Asteraceae; Sunflower Family
Vegetative Characteristics:
Seedling: Basal rosette; leaves waxy, pale green, prominent veins, coarsely lobed, 3-5 points per lobe
Stems: Erect, branched; spiny, lobed leaves extending down stem, winged appearance, spine at tip of each lobe.
Leaves: alternate, 15.0-40.0 cm long, 5.0-12.0 cm wide, dark green with light green midribs and white margins, deeply lobed with 3-5 points per lobe; spines prominent on each lobe
Reproductive Characteristics:
Inflorescences: mostly solitary heads nodding at ends of branches; disk florets deep rose to violet or purple; involucral bracts often purple-tinged
Fruits: achene, straw-colored, oblong, glabrous, 5-10 nerved or nerveless, protrusion at attachment of plumeless, whitish pappus
Special Identifying Features:
⇒ erect, coarse biennial or rarely annual; stem winged, leaflike, appearing spined; leaves coarsely lobed, spines on each lobe; flower heads nodding, solitary, conspicuously broad with long, flat or reflexed, spine-pointed tips.
- Mature Plant
- Leaves
- Spines
- Winged Leaves
- Leaf and Stem
- Top of Flower
- Bottom of Flower
- Young Plant
- Seed
- Seedling
- Cotyledon
- White Midrib
