Flower Color: Pink, purple, white or lavender; heads solitary or few, flowering stalk (peduncle), bracts or phyllaries around floral heads linear or lanceolate always with sharp yellow spines; fruit a light brown cypsela.
Flowering Season: April, May or June to July and October
Recorded Range: Yellowspine Thistle has a large geographic range, generally in the western half of the United States including the Great Plains of the Central United States and the desert regions of the southwestern United States. It is also native to much of northern Mexico southward to include Durango.
North America species range map for Cirsium ochrocentrum:
North American range map courtesy of Virginia Tech, Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation
Click image for full size map
U.S. Weed Information:Cirsium ochrocentrum is listed in:
Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains,
Weeds of the United States and Canada,
Weeds of the West.
Plants included here may become weedy or invasive. See Comments: section below for additional information regarding “weedy” thistles.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: In North America Cirsium ochrocentrum is listed as a noxious weed by the States of:
California, yellowspine Thistle “A list Noxious Weeds”;
Arkansas, Cirsium; Thistle, “Noxious weed;
Iowa, Cirsium; Thistle, “Primary noxious weed”.
Plants included here are invasive or noxious. See the Comments: section below for additional information regarding “noxious” thistles.
Wetland Indicator: Unknown
Threatened/Endangered Information: Unknown
Genus Information: In North America there are 91 species for Cirsium. Worldwide, The Plant List includes 481 accepted species names and a further 812 scientific names of infraspecific rank for the genus.
The genus Cirsium was published by Philip Miller in 1754.
In the Southwestern United States: Arizona and New Mexico each have 19 species of genus, California has 26 species, Nevada has 16 species, Texas has 12 species, Utah has 23 species. All data approximate and subject to revision.
There are 2 sub-species of Cirsium ochrocentrum;
Cirsium ochrocentrum ssp. martinii, (AZ, NM);
Cirsium ochrocentrum ssp. ochrocentrum, generally western half of the United States.
Comments: Yellowspine Thistle is a common upland thistle in Arizona at elevations above 4,500 feet.
The genus Cirsium in general, has received adverse notoriety because of the introduction of two thistles native to Europe and now widespread throughout North America. The Canadian Thistle, Cirsium arvense and and the Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare are both listed as noxious primarily by agricultural interests. The Canadian Thistle and Bull Thistle together for example are listed as noxious weeds in 33 and 9 states respectively.
In reality, most southwestern native thistles, including Graham's Thistle, are non-aggressive; non-invasive and beneficial as pollinators. Our native thistles have evolved over thousands of years and have mostly thrived without ever becoming weedy. However, many native thistles are now threatened and some species are at risk of extinction.
Thistles of the genus Cirsium are regularly visited by many wildlife species such as small mammals, hummingbirds and nectar-feeding bats. Also the seeds are attractive to finches including the American goldfinch and many other birds.
Special Value to Native Bees, Butterflies and Insects
Thistles of the genus Cirsium are important as a group as they are provide nectar and pollen for bees and they are frequently visited by pollinators such as Native bees, bumblebees and an exceptionally large number of insects and butterflies. "Monarch butterflies visit native thistle flowers more than any other wildflowers in some regions during their migration back to Mexico". They are also heavily used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly) species. In addition to food Cirsium also provides nesting material and structure for Native bees and other insects.
To find out more about Butterflies and Moths of North America visit BAMONA.
For an interesting article on native thistles in North America see Native Thistles: A Conservation Practitioner's Guide, published on-line by The Xerces Society, For Invertebrate Conservation.
To find out more about Butterflies and Moths of North America visit BAMONA.
Etymology:
The genus Cirsium is derived from the Greek words kirsion "a kind of thistle" in turn from kirsos, "a swollen vein or welt," as thistles are used as a remedy for such issues.
Thistles of the genus Cirsium are known as “plume thistles” because they have feathered hairs on their pappi while thistles of the genera Carduus, Silybum and, Onopordum have a pappi with simple unbranched hairs.
The genus Cirsium was published by Philip Miller in 1754.
The species epithet ochrocentrum (ochrocen'trum:) means with an ochre-colored center.
Ethnobotany
Yellowspine Thistle was used as a treatment for sores and a multitude of other purposes by the Kiowa and Zuni Nations.
Kiowa Drug, Burn Dressing and as a wash for sores, Decoction of blossoms used as wash for burns and used as a wash for sores.
Kiowa Other, Protection, Blossoms used to cover graves of those recently buried to keep the wolves from digging up the body.
Kiowa Food, Unspecified, Roots used for food.
Zuni Drug, Contraceptive,Infusion of root taken by both partners as a contraceptive.
Zuni Drug, Emetic/Diaphoretic/Venereal Aid, Infusion of whole plant taken as a diaphoretic for syphilis.
Zuni Drug, Misc. Disease Remedy,Infusion of fresh or dried root taken three times a day for diabetes.
See complete listing of ethno-botanical uses at Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn.
