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Cirsium scariosum is a species of thistle known by the common names meadow thistle and elk thistle.

It is native to much of western North America from Canada to Mexico, where it grows in a variety of habitat types.
This is a variable species made up of several geographic races, most of which have been previously classified as species.[1] The races intergrade but their morphologies can also be quite different.
This is generally a biennial or perennial herb. It takes three main forms, a stemless, flat rosette with a cluster of flower heads in the center, a mounding form with a short, erect stem, or a fully erect form reaching up to 2 meters in height.[1] When there is a stem it is usually fleshy, ridged, and woolly in texture. The leaves are sharply toothed or cut into toothed lobes, lined with spines, and up to 40 centimeters at their longest near the base of the plant. The inflorescence holds several flower heads, each up to 4 centimeters long and 5 wide. The flower head is lined with phyllaries which may have spines and teeth and filled with white to purple flowers. The fruit is a compressed achene a few millimeters long topped with a pappus which may be 3 centimeters in length.
(From Wikipedia on 15.6.13)
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Images by Gurcharan Singh (Inserted by J.M.Garg) (For more photos & complete details, click on the links)

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Asteraceae Fortnight Part 2-Discoid heads- Cirsium scariosum from California-GS32 : Attachments (2). 4 posts by 3 authors.
Cirsium scariosum photographed from Shasta mountains in California.

very nice
what season was this…
was it end of summer?


It was 6 July …


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Asteraceae Fortnight Part 2-Discoid heads:: Plant for ID SMP 22 Yellowstone USA : Attachments (2).  3 posts by 2 authors.
This plant was observed in Yellowstone National Park USA.
I don’t have its ID.


Cirsium scariosum??


Cirsium scariosum Nutt. is correct Id.


To me it does not look like C. scariosum, leaves are different.


To me appears close to images in Wikimedia Commons as per this image.



Cirsium scariosum from Shasta, California-GS04012022-4: 4 high res. images.
Cirsium scariosum Nutt.

Common names: Shasta valley thistle, Sessile thistle
This variable species is often stemless, with usually sessile flowerheads, pale pink to white
leaves spiny.
Photographed from Shasta Mountains, California, 26-7-2008


 


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References:

The Plant List 1  The Plant List 2  GRIN  Flora of North America  Wikipedia  Swcolarado
https://calscape.org/Cirsium-scariosum-()
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CISC2
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=2249
https://www.calflora.query.cgi?where-calrecnum=2149