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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Carduus L.

CARDUUS L.

Annual to perennial herbs. Stems winged. Hairs soft and multicellular, or cobwebby, sometimes papillate. Lvs alternate, sessile or cuneate at base, simple, dentate to pinnatisect; lobes and teeth spine-tipped. Capitula homogamous, cylindric to ovoid, globose, obconic or hemispheric, solitary or in clusters. Involucral bracts in several series, lanceolate to linear, evenly tapered or with a narrow claw and broader limb; hairs papillate, cobwebby, or 0; outer bracts usually spine-tipped. Receptacle flat; scales numerous, setaceous. Florets ⚥, all tubular. Corolla glabrous, 5-lobed, usually purple, rarely pink to white. Anthers acute at apex, with basal appendages 0.5-1.5 mm long; filaments ciliate or papillate. Style branches linear, erect, appressed. Achenes obovoid, weakly flattened, glabrous, smooth; achene insertion basal; pappus hairs in several rows, soft or ± stiff, silvery or sordid, scabrid, united at base into a ring.

Key

1
Lamina glabrous or with scattered multicellular hairs beneath, especially on midrib and veins; involucre globose, ovoid, or hemispheric, 15-50 cm diam., persistent after fruiting
2
Lamina cobwebby or woolly tomentose beneath; involucre oblong-cylindric to obconic, 5-15 cm diam., falling when achenes are ripe
3
2
Capitula erect, (1)-1.5-(2) × 1.5-2 cm; outer and middle involucral bracts evenly tapered from base, with erecto-patent apices; corolla (12)-14-18 mm long; pappus 11-14 mm long
1. *acanthoides
Capitula nodding, 3-4-(5) × 3-4-(5) cm; outer and middle involucral bracts geniculate with broad, deflexed to spreading limb; corolla 18-24 mm long; pappus (12)-15-22 mm long
2. *nutans
3
Wings of upper stem < 2 mm wide between clusters of teeth; capitula shortly pedunculate or subsessile, in terminal clusters of 2-3-(5), also solitary, sessile, and axillary on stems; involucral bracts with midvein raised in upper 1/2
3. *pycnocephalus
Wings of upper stem 2-3-(10) mm wide between clusters of teeth; capitula sessile in compact terminal and subterminal clusters of 3-8-(12); involucral bracts with midvein raised in upper ⅓
4. *tenuiflorus

100 spp., Europe, Mediterranean, Asia. Naturalised spp. 4.

Carduus is easily distinguished from Cirsium by its scabrid rather than plumose pappus hairs (Fig. 32). However there are no other clear distinctions.

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