Syn.: Carduus flodmanii Rydb., Carduus oblanceolatus Rydb., Cirsium flodmanii f. oblanceolatum (Rydb.) D. Löve et J.-P. Bernard, Cirsium nebraskense var. discissum Lunell, Cirsium oblanceolatum (Rydb.) K. Schum.
Family: Asteraceae Bercht. et J. Presl

Cirsium flodmanii

Distribution: North American species found in southern Canada and in north central US states of Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.

Ecology: Prairie, moist meadows, disturbed areas. Blooms from July to September.

Cirsium flodmanii

Description: Biennial or short-lived perennial herb, 30–80 cm tall when blooming. Stems erect, covered with woolly hairs, from a hollow taproot. Basal leaves in a rosette, oblong to lanceolate, 4–40 × 1–10 cm, margins deeply lobed to spiny, upper surface green and silver hairy, lower surface white with woolly hairs; stem leaves alternate, smaller and pointier than basal ones. Flower heads at terminal on branches, 3–4 cm across; involucres ovoid to broadly campanulate, 2–3.5 cm long, phyllaries in 7–12 series, imbricate, ovate to linear, greenish or purplish, with white stripe and spreading spines, 2–4 mm long; disc florets are reddish purple to rose, ray florets absent. Fruit is an achene, 3–5.5 mm long, pappus of many feathery bristles.

Note: J. H. Flodman was Swedish-American botanist, discoverer of this species and cooperator of Per Axel Rydberg, the first curator of the New York Botanical Garden herbarium.

Cirsium flodmanii
Cirsium flodmaniiCirsium flodmanii
Cirsium flodmanii
Cirsium flodmanii
Cirsium flodmanii

These images were taken in Canada, Alberta, Calgary, Weaselhead (July 16, 2015) and Calgary, Ranchlands Park (August 4, 2015).