Cotyledons
Spoon-shaped, fleshy

Roots
Taproot

Stem
Erect, tall, branched, hairy
Prickly wings along stem with
long prickles at tip

True Leaves
Rosette first year, deeply lobed
with sharp spines at each tip of lobe
Above surface spiny
Under surface white and hairy
Small spines along margin

Flowers
Purple, tubular
Surrounded by spine-tipped bracts

Habitat
Pastures, roadsides, waste areas

Note
Only thistle to have spiny upper leaf surface