About Cirsium eatonii var. clokeyi (S.F.Blake) D.J.Keil
Cirsium eatonii, the parent species of Cirsium eatonii var. clokeyi, is a highly variable erect herb. Some populations grow up to 150 cm (5 feet / 60 inches) tall. All of its foliage is more or less spiny, and one individual produces several flower heads holding pink, purple, or yellow flowers. This species grows at high elevations in grasslands, sagebrush steppes, open savannahs, and similar habitats. Several varieties have been described within Cirsium eatonii. Cirsium eatonii var. clokeyi, known by common names Clokey thistle, Spring Mountains thistle, and white-spine thistle, is a rare and uncommon variety found in Nevada. Other varieties include Cirsium eatonii var. eatonii found in Nevada and Utah; Cirsium eatonii var. eriocephalum, common names alpine thistle and mountain thistle, found in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah; Cirsium eatonii var. hesperium, common name tall mountain thistle, found in Colorado; Cirsium eatonii var. murdockii, common name northern mountain thistle, found in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming; Cirsium eatonii var. peckii, common names ghost thistle and Steens Mountain thistle, found in Nevada and Oregon; and Cirsium eatonii var. viperinum, common name Snake Range thistle, found in Nevada.
