tall globethistle

Family

Aster

Scientific Name

Echinops exaltatus

Other Common Names:

Russian globethistle

giant globethistle

Synonyms (former Scientific Names):

Echinops commutatus

Habit

Upright, sometimes to 7' tall, and branching. Grows from a rosette around a central taproot.

Leaves

Basal leaves form a rosette, while upper leaves clasp around the stem in an alternate arrangement. Leaf undersides especially can have woolly hairs. Leaves can be oval to pinnately lobed.

Identifying Characteristics

This species' unique, spherical flower is its most striking characteristic, which is normally present in late summer. It is typically the largest of the globethistles.

Flower Seed Head

The bluish or purplish flower is solitary and has an almost perfectly spherical shape. It can reach about 2 inches in diameter and is composed of many florets, each with 5 long, slender petals

Seed Fruit

Cylindrical, hairy achenes are less than 1/4 " in length and typically have a crown-shaped pappus with numerous, short scales.

Where Found

Native to Europe, but found in many cooler parts of North America. Mostly present in roadsides, pastures, and waterways.

Growth Habit

upright and nonwoody

Thorns or Spines

present

Approximate Flower Diameter

larger

Dominant Flower Color

Varies:

white,

blue,

purple

Flower Symmetry

radial symmetery

Leaf Hairs

has hairs

Leaf Shape

oval

Leaf Arrangement

Varies:

alternate,

rosette

Leaf Margin

Varies:

entire,

lobed

Leaf Structure

simple

Leaf Stalk

none

Stem Hairs

has hairs

Stem Cross Section

round or oval

Milky Sap

not present

Root Structure

taproot

Life Cycle

perennial

Ochrea

not present

Plant Type

Herb