Cirsium pumilum

Pasture Thistle

[ click on any image below to see larger version ]

Family: Asteraceae

Mid-Atlantic bloom time: late May - July

Pasture Thistle's blooms are from 10-20 inches (25-50cm) above the ground. The bracts of the flowerhead (i.e., the green leafy parts, called phyllaries) have spines that are 5-10mm long. Note that the underside of the leaves are not densely tormentose, i.e., they don't have a fuzzy white appearance.

Pasture Thistle's seeds (pappus) have rather long bristles that are feathery (plumose), typical of this Cirsium genus. Note that the pappus of the Carduus genus are barbed (barbellate), not feathery.

4 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	4 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (note spines on phyllaries)	6 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	6 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (basal leaves)
6 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (underside of leaf is mostly green, not white hairy)	6 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA	4 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (showing plumose pappus bristles)	4 July 2019 Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (showing plumose pappus bristles)

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