About Cirsium vinaceum (Wooton & Standl.) Wooton & Standl.
Cirsium vinaceum is a perennial herbaceous thistle that can reach up to 200 cm (80 inches) in height. Most parts of the plant, especially its stems and inflorescences, are purple. Its rosette leaves grow up to 50 cm (20 inches) long, are primarily green, and have yellow spines along their edges. Each robust individual produces many flower heads that grow on nodding, hanging branches. Flowering takes place in summer. Each flower head measures 3 to 5 centimeters in both width and length, with an involucre made of purple phyllaries. These phyllaries curve outward and taper into hard, toothed spines. The flower head holds many hairlike pinkish-purple flowers. Its fruit is an achene with a plumelike pappus that can grow up to 2 centimeters long. This thistle may be similar in appearance to musk thistle, Carduus nutans. This species is native to streams and seeps located at elevations of 8000 feet and higher. Plants root in water-filled cracks in the travertine rock of canyon streams, and can tolerate constant saturation. They sometimes grow directly within streams themselves. These waterways are typically surrounded by meadow habitat and Douglas-fir forests. Other tree species found in this habitat include Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), New Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana), and Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii). Many populations of Cirsium vinaceum occur within the boundaries of Lincoln National Forest.
