sometimes flecked with purple (adapted from Moore and 

 Frankton 1963) . 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Plant perennial by biennial 

 offsets from stout, woody rhizomes; stems ribbed, 

 lightly arachnoid pubescent with long multicellular 

 hairs, 50-60 cm tall, to 1.5 cm thick at base; rosette 

 leaves moderately spiny, margins with broad, shallow 

 divisions, green and glabrous above, densely white 

 pubescent beneath; cauline leaves gray-green arachnoid, 

 with multicellular hairs above, white villous (long 

 thin hairs with single long terminal cell and 1-several 

 short basal cells) below, linear-lanceolate, base not 

 decurrent, about 10 times as long as wide, to 15 cm 

 long, 1.5 cm wide, lobed less than or equal to 1/3 the 

 width, smaller upper leaves essentially entire, lobes 

 ovate, often irregular with numerous fine marginal 

 spines to 5 mm long; heads 3 cm high, 2 . 5 cm wide, 

 arrangement variable, usually in a close terminal 

 cluster but also 1-2 on stem apex and lateral branches, 

 usually, many floriferous branches to 15 cm long, on 

 terminal third of main stem; floriferous part of stem 

 may be unexpanded in young plants with less than or 

 equal to 5 heads grouped at the stem apex; heads 

 subtended by a few reduced leaves, the uppermost about 

 the size of the involucral bracts and approaching them 

 in form, with gray multicellular hairs at right angles 

 to the margin; involucre 2 cm high with 5-6 rows of 

 bracts, outer bracts linear-lanceolate, base 1.5-2 mm 

 wide, weakly glandular or with a dark blotch, surface 

 glabrous, apical portion slightly dilated with a yellow 

 lacerate fringe, tipped by a slender 2 mm spine; middle 

 bracts similar but progressively less dilated-lacerate; 

 inner bracts longer, lanceolate, tip not or only 

 slightly lacerate, the lacerate margin varies from a 

 conspicuous yellow fringe to minute irregular 

 serrations and is best seen on young heads but never 

 consists of fine lateral spines; flowers white, corolla 

 20-22 mm long, tube 7-9 mm, lobes 3.5-5.5 mm, pappus 

 18-19 mm, tawny, of 30-40 setae, longer setae 

 clavellate; anthers, including appendages, 7.5-8.5 mm 

 long, free tips usually incurved; style long-exserted 

 to 1 cm beyond the corolla, tip to joint of style 3.5-5 

 mm; achenes 5.5-6.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, light brown 

 sometimes with purplish flecks (adapted from Moore and 

 Frankton 1963) . 



3. LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: The dilated, lacerate-f ringed 

 tip of the outer involucral bracts are characteristic 

 of Cirsium longistylum , although some plants do not 

 show this character well. It is perhaps best 

 distinguished from C. hookerianum . with which it may 



