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Taxon  Report  
Carthamus lanatus  L.
Woolly distaff thistle
Carthamus lanatus is an annual herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: high
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Observation Search
~1135 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
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Bloom Period
Genus: Carthamus
Family: Asteraceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFCarthamus lanatus ssp. lanatus
POWOPhonus lanatus
Information about  Carthamus lanatus from other sources

[Cal-IPC] Invasive: Carthamus lanatus (woolly distaff thistle) is a winter annual forb (family Asteraceae) found in disturbed open sites, roadsides, pastures, annual grasslands, and waste areas. Its spiny foliage can injure livestock. It is primarily found in the northern coast ranges of California. Cal-IPC Rating High (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

[Wikipedia] Mediterranean Basin native, Noxious weed: Carthamus lanatus is a species of thistle known as woolly distaff thistle,[1] downy safflower[2] or saffron thistle. It is closely related to safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). This annual plant is a native of the Mediterranean Basin, but it is familiar in other places where it was introduced and has become a noxious weed, such as in parts of North America and southern Australia[3] with similar climates. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/11/2024).