Carduus tenuiflorus
Curtis Winged Slender-thistleAnnual to 150 cm high; stems with continuous wings to c. 10 mm wide and spinose lobes to 10 mm wide, cobwebbed. Basal leaves in a sparse rosette, oblanceolate, 5–20 cm long, 2–8 cm wide, deeply pinnatisect, margins spiny, upper surface green and pubescent, lower surface white-cobwebbed; cauline leaves similar but smaller, stem-clasping. Inflorescence of 3–9 capitula in terminal or axillary clusters; capitula cylindric, erect to patent, 6–10 mm diam., sessile; involucral bracts erect, linear-lanceolate, to 20 mm long, green with scarious margins; dorsal surface of intermediate involucral bracts glabrous or very sparsely hairy; inner bracts slightly exceeding florets. Corolla 10–14 mm long, purple. Cypselas 4–5 mm long; pappus bristles subequal, 11–13 mm long. Flowers mainly spring and summer
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas., New Zealand. Native to Europe. A widespread and common weed of pasture and other disturbed sites; declared a noxious weed in Victoria.
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
