Carduus crispus is
a perennial herb, 0.7-1m in height, found on roadsides or
riverbanks, with stems with conspicuous broad wings. The wings have
dentitions, the tips of which grow to prickles. Leaves on lower
parts measure 5-20cm long, are irregularly pinnately cut from the
middle to deep, and have many prickles on the margins. Flower heads,
red-purple, 2-2.5cm in diameter, set themselves a few together on
branch tips. Involucres are bell-shaped or hemispheric,1.7-2.7cm in
width; involucral bracts line up in 7-8 rows, and outer and middle
ones bend back. Bloom time: May-July. |