Picnomon acarna
(L.) Cass.Annual, 50–100 cm high; stems much-branched, spiny-winged, cobwebbed. Leaves shallowly lobed with long yellow spines, densely cobwebbed; basal leaves oblanceolate, to 30 cm long and 3 cm wide; cauline leaves linear, mostly 4–10 cm long, 4–8 mm wide, apex spine-tipped, base decurrent. Capitula sessile, solitary or in groups of 2–4, cylindrical but tapering distally, c. 1 cm diam.; involucre 2–3 cm long; intermediate bracts linear-lanceolate, terminal spine recurved, yellow, to c. 7 mm long, spinules 1–4 pairs; inner bracts longer and narrower with less-prominent spines. Florets bisexual; corolla 20–25 mm long, pink or purple. Cypselas 4–6 mm long, brown to black with paler streaks, smooth; pappus 1–2 cm long.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VVP, MSB, Gold, DunT. Also naturalised SA. Native to northern Africa, temperate Asia, and Europe. Apparently confined to drier inland parts of western Victoria where found mainly in pasture and on roadsides. Declared a noxious weed in Victoria, but eradication programmes have so far kept it under control in this State.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Asteraceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 652–666. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
