Fountain thistle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fountain thistle |
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| Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense | |
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Cirsium
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| Species: |
fontinale
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The Cirsium fontinale, also known as the fountain thistle, is a type of flowering plant that lives for more than two years. It belongs to the sunflower family. This plant is special because it is only found naturally in California. The name Cirsium comes from a Greek word meaning 'thistle.'
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Where the Fountain Thistle Lives
This plant only grows in certain parts of northern and central California. You can find it in places that are not higher than about 2,460 750|m|ft above sea level. It especially likes wet areas like serpentine seeps (where water slowly leaks out of the ground) and streams. These areas are mostly found in the California Coast Ranges, including parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and San Luis Obispo County.
There are three different types, or varieties, of the fountain thistle:
- Cirsium fontinale var. campylon — This is called the Mount Hamilton thistle. It lives in the Diablo Range and the southern Santa Clara Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is being considered for protection by the government.
- Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale — This is the main fountain thistle. It is found in San Mateo County. Both the US government and the State of California list it as an endangered species, meaning it's at risk of disappearing forever.
- Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense — This one is known as the Chorro Creek bog thistle. It lives in San Luis Obispo County. It is also listed as an endangered species by both the US government and California.
What the Fountain Thistle Looks Like
All types of Cirsium fontinale have straight stems and leaves with very wavy edges. These plants can grow quite tall, up to about 7.2 2.2|m|ft, but some are as short as 1.6 0.5|m|ft. A single plant might have one or more stems. Even though they are perennial plants, sometimes they only live for a short time and die after flowering once.
The lower leaves usually have a stalk (called a petiole) or are tapered. They often have spiny lobes or teeth.
The flowers grow in prickly clusters that look a bit like a pyramid. These clusters are usually hidden by the leaves higher up on the stem. The flower heads are shaped like a half-sphere or a bell and can be purple or green. The small leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud (called phyllaries) can be shaped like a spear or an egg. Each flower has many petals, which are usually white, pink, or lavender and about 20 millimeters long.
The fruits are smooth and brownish, shaped like an egg, and about four to five millimeters wide. They have many small bristles that help them spread their seeds.
Different Types of Fountain Thistle
The three varieties of Cirsium fontinale each have their own special places where they grow and their own unique features.
Mount Hamilton Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. campylon)
The Mount Hamilton thistle is not very common. It is found in different spots in Santa Clara, Alameda, and Stanislaus County. These areas are in the southeastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. This variety grows at elevations from about 980 to 2,460 300|-|750|m|ft in the southern Santa Clara Valley and the Diablo Range, including Mount Hamilton.
Like the other types of fountain thistle, the Mount Hamilton thistle prefers wet areas on serpentine soil slopes. This includes seeps, areas along streams, and other wetlands. There are 39 known locations for this variety, with most of them in Santa Clara County. It is currently being considered for protection under the federal endangered species list.
- What it looks like
The Mount Hamilton thistle has a green stem that can grow up to 6.5 2|m|ft tall. Its leaves are very fuzzy and do not have sticky hairs.
When this variety flowers, its heads usually droop or nod. The outer protective parts of the flower (phyllaries) are green and about 20 to 30 millimeters long. These phyllaries curve backward and have a channel shape, with the widest part below the middle. The top part of each phyllary turns into a spine that is three to five millimeters long. The fruits are egg-shaped and smooth.
Fountain Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale)
The fountain thistle variety is only found in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County. This is in the southwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It grows at elevations of about 390 120|m|ft, meaning it's found on the lower slopes of the Montara Mountain Block within the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills. It likes seeps, wetlands, and stream areas that have serpentine soil.
Currently, there are only 5 known places where this variety grows. Sadly, at two of these places, near Edgewood County Park, the plants haven't been seen for several years, so they are thought to be gone. One group of these thistles was found in the 1980s along the east side of Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir. A new group was discovered in Redwood City's Stulsaft Park in the 2000s. Another group was found in the Town of Woodside, growing on land owned by PG&E along a stream. Historically, this variety used to grow in a larger area across San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
This type of fountain thistle was the first to be listed as endangered by the state of California in July 1979. It is also listed as a federal endangered species.
- What it looks like
The stem of Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale is usually less than 4.2 1.3|m|ft tall and has a reddish color. Its leaves are clearly sticky and only slightly fuzzy.
When this plant is flowering, its heads usually droop. But when the plant is making fruit, the heads stand up straight. The outer reddish protective parts (phyllaries) are 15 to 20 millimeters long and curve a bit. They are wider above the middle and end suddenly with a one to two millimeter spine. The fruits are egg-shaped and smooth.
Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense)
The Chorro Creek bog thistle is found only in small parts of the Santa Lucia Mountains in San Luis Obispo County. It mostly grows near Chorro Creek.
There are 13 known locations for this variety. Like the other types, it prefers wet areas near streams or seeps, usually on slopes. It is found at elevations less than 980 300|m|ft. The Chorro Creek bog thistle was listed as a federally endangered species in 1994. This means it is considered endangered throughout all the places where it grows.
- What it looks like
The stem of C. f. var. obispoense can be green or purplish and is always less than 6.5 2|m|ft tall. Its leaves are very fuzzy, especially on the underside. When the plant is flowering, its heads droop, but when it is making fruit, they stand up straight.
The outer protective parts (phyllaries) are green to dark purple and are 15 to 20 millimeters long. These parts curve strongly and are somewhat channeled, with the upper half narrowing to a one to four millimeter spine. The fruits are smooth, egg-shaped, and slightly rough on top.
See also
In Spanish: Cirsium fontinale para niños
