Common name: Cardoon
Cynara cardunculus L. APNI* 
Description: Perennial herb to 1 m high, ridged, cobwebby.
Leaves to 50 cm long and 35 cm wide; segments ovate to linear-lanceolate, lower leaves petiolate, uppermost sessile; upper surface sparsely cobwebby, lower surface densely cobwebby, slightly viscid.
Heads ovoid to globose, to 10 cm diam.; involucral bracts ovate to elliptic, tapering into erect spreading spines. Florets blue, lilac or whitish. Style long-exserted, usually with ring of short hairs at base of style branches.
Achenes 6–8 mm long, shiny brown-spotted; pappus 2.5–4 cm long, whitish.
Flowering: November–February
Distribution and occurrence: Weed of roadsides, wasteland and pastures, mostly in clayey soils; from Gilgandra to Euston district. Native of Eur.
NSW subdivisions: *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *NWP, *SWP, *SFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
A declared noxious weed in some shires of the State.
Text by L. Murray
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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