Carduus tenuiflorus, Curtis

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 231

44. C. tenuiflorus Curtis , FZ. Lond. 2(6): t. 55 (1793).

Annual or biennial up to 75 cm. Stem more or less arachnoid-hairy; wings up to 10 mm wide, triangular, with an apical spine up to 5 mm. Leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, sparsely hairy above, arachnoid-hairy beneath, with mostly unicellular hairs, with 6-8 pairs of broadly triangular, acute lobes, each with an apical spine up to 5 mm. Capitula 15-20 x 5-10 mm, cylindrical, sessile, in compact clusters of 3—8(— 12); involucral bracts imbricate but with suberect or patent apices 1 -5-2 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, more or less contracted at the apex, glabrous, smooth, with scarious entire margin, the mid-vein raised in the distal |; inner bracts 1| times as long as the middle bracts, veinless, subulate, with scarious, entire margin and apex. Corolla 10- 14 mm. Achenes 4-5 mm, swollen, smooth; apical prominence shortly stipitate, davate, entire; pappus 11-13 mm. 2л = 54. Dry, open habitats. W. Europe. Az Be BI Br Co Ga Hb He Ho Hs It Lu Sa [No Su].