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The Nodding Thistle (Carduus natans) is a member of the Asteraceae or Aster family. It is a smooth or thinly hairy biennial which grows between 1- and 7-feet tall. The leaves, which can be up to 10-inches long and 4-inches wide, are mostly smooth and deeply lobed. The flower heads are up to 2-inches wide, usually nodding and solitary at the ends of very long stalks. The flowers are reddish-purple. The Nodding Thistle can be found in pastures, on roadsides and in waste places. It is a native of Eurasia but has now become widely established in the US and Canada. It flowers from May to November.
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Twitter: ljsaltiel
| June 22, 2012
Excellent details in the images Mark. The light and bokeh on the second one is exceptional.
Twitter: twitter (username)
| June 22, 2012
These are lovely Mark and I love the lighting in the second image.