Cirsium laniflorum, (Bieb.) Fischer

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 237

25. C. laniflorum (Bieb.) Fischer , loc. cit. (1812)

(ind. C. sublaniflorum Soják, C. tauricum Soják ).

Perennial 30-80 cm. Leaves not decurrent, subcoriaceous, flat or slightly undulate, sparsely to densely arachnoid-lanate beneath; middle pinnatifid up to I of way to midrib; segments with 1-3 unequal, ovate to oblong or broadly triangular lobes or teeth and slender apical spine 1—7(— 10) mm. Capitula solitary or 2-4 clustered on rather short branches, usually with 1—3(—5) subtending leaves much shorter than capitulum. Involucre 20-30 x 20-30 mm, sparsely arachnoid-hairy to -lanate; bracts divided into a wide basal and a narrow acicular to subulate, usually patent apical part, smooth or with remote marginal spinules 0-2-0-8 mm, with rigid apical spine 2-3 -5 mm, without spinules on inner surface. Corolla 20-30 mm, purple or pink. Achenes 5-5-5 mm; pappus 15-22 mm. • S. Krym', Turkey-in-Europe. Rs (K) Tu.

A variable species in which leaf-division, and the size of leafsegments and involucral bracts have been used for delimiting several taxa of doubtful validity.