Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness
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The Nodding Thistle (Carduus natans) is a member of the Asteraceae or Aster family. Also known as with the common names musk thistle and nodding plumeless thistle, it is a smooth or thinly hairy biennial which grows anywhere between 1- and 7-feet tall. Requiring 2 years to complete a full reproductive cycle it may germinate and flower in a single year in warmer climates. The leaves, which can be up to 10-inches long and 4-inches wide, are mostly smooth and deeply lobed. The solitary flower heads are up to 2-inches wide at the ends of very long stalks. These flower heads commonly droop to a 90° to 120° angle from the stem when mature, hence the name. The flowers are reddish-purple. Flowering occurs from June to October with seed dissemination occurring approximately one month after the flowers form. A single flower head may produce 1,200 seeds which are wind dispersed. The seeds may remain viable in the soil for over ten years, making it a difficult plant to control. It 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.
Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans), Dolly Sods Wilderness
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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.