Plant Name
Scientific Name: Cirsium neomexicanum
Synonyms: Cirsium utahense, C. wallowense
Common Names: New Mexico Thistle, Desert Thistle
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland
Flower Color: Pinkish purple to lavender, Pink, White
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer
Height: To 6 feet (1.8 m) tall
Description: The showy flowers are up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) across and are surrounded by spine-tipped bracts. The lower, outer floral bracts point downward, while the upper, inner bracts point upward and are somewhat twisted. The leaves are green, pinnately lobed, spiny, and up to 7 inches (18 cm) long.
Special Characteristics
Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Cirsium Mill. – thistle
Species: Cirsium neomexicanum A. Gray – New Mexico thistle
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