| Onopordum illyricum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Onopordum |
| Species: | O. illyricum |
| Binomial name | |
| Onopordum illyricum L. | |
Onopordum illyricum is a species of thistle known by the common name Illyrian thistle, or Illyrian cottonthistle. It is native to southwestern Europe, but has been introduced into Australia and California, where it has become a noxious weed.
The plant is a biennial herb producing an erect, branching, winged, spiny stem known to exceed two meters in maximum height. The spiny leaves may be up to 50 centimetres (20 in) long and are divided into deep toothed lobes. The inflorescence bears several large flower heads each up to 7 centimetres (3 in) wide. They are lined with spiny, woolly to cobwebby phyllaries and bear many narrow glandular purple flowers each about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long. The fruit is a cylindrical achene 4 or 5 millimetres (0.16 or 0.20 in) long topped with a white pappus 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in length.
References
- BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- NRCS. "Onopordum illyricum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 30 January 2016.
External links
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