Carduus tenuiflorus Curtis

Annual, or rarely biennial. Stems usually branched above, (20)–60–100–(150) cm tall, with sparse multicellular hairs below, becoming cobwebby above, ribbed; wing narrowed to 2–3–(10) mm wide between clusters of teeth; teeth 8–15–(30) mm long, in broadly deltoid to palmatifid clusters; spines 4–7–(10) mm long. Lvs obovate to narrowly deltoid to oblong, pinnatifid, (5)–10–30–(40) × (2)–5–15 cm, glabrescent or with papillae or multicellular hairs above, with cobwebby hairs beneath; basal lvs with (4)–5–8 pairs of lobes; lobes palmatifid-dentate; teeth spine-tipped; spines pale, 2–5–(8) mm long. Capitula erect or suberect, falling at fruiting, 15–20 × 7–15 mm, sessile or subsessile in compact terminal and subterminal clusters of 3–8–(12); peduncle 1–2 mm diam. Involucre cylindric to obconic. Outer and middle involucral bracts narrowly lanceolate to narrowly deltoid, evenly tapered to erect or erecto-patent spine, without distinct claw and limb, with glandular papillae, ciliolate, rarely with sparse cobwebby hairs; apex pale green or scarious; midvein raised in upper ⅓. Inner involucral bracts linear, with glandular papillae below, weakly 1–(3)-veined above; apex acute, scarious, often pink. Corolla pale pinkish purple, 11–13 mm long; lobes 5–6 mm long; swelling at throat of tube ellipsoid, < 2–(3) mm long. Achenes brown, ellipsoid, 3.5–4 × 1.5–2 mm; pappus 10–12 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: (Sep.)–Nov.–Dec.– (Mar.); Fruiting: (Sep.)–Nov.–Feb.–(Apr.)