Cirsium discolor (USA)

Sharing the pictures of Cirsium discolor (Pasture Thistle). Leaves are very spiny and can harm you if you collecting the plant in empty hands. But flower heads are really good looking. 

Cirsium discolor (Pasture Thistle)
Date: 1^{st th} July, 2013

Place: Great Lakes Metra station, Illinois, US

Diagnostic features: Biennial or short-lived perennial plant with light green stems have white hairs, but they are without spines. The alternate leaves are quite spiny, pinnately lobed; green on the upper surface, but powdery white on the lower surface because of minute fine hairs. Flower-heads with little or no scent occur individually on erect flowering stems in the upper part of the plant. Flowerheads light pink (rarely white), consisting of numerous disk florets. At the base of each flowerhead, there are overlapping floral bracts (phyllaries) that are light green with white central veins; The blooming period is from late summer to fall, lasting about a month for individual plants. The achenes develop with tufts of white hair.

References:

The Plant List  GRIN  Flora of North America  Wikipedia