Eryngium articulatum
Encyclopedia
Eryngium articulatum is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family
known by the common names beethistle and jointed coyote thistle. This plant is native to the northwestern United States from California
to Idaho
, where it is a plant of marshes and riverbanks. This is a sturdy, branching perennial
herb
with rounded, naked stems reaching maximum heights over one meter. It has a few sparse sharply serrated leaves at nodes and branching points along its stem. Atop the stem is the rounded to egg-shaped flower head, which looks superficially like that of a thistle
, mainly due to its spikiness and lavender color. It is fringed with up to 17 spiny, toothed, pointed bract
s, each up to about two centimeters long. Each flower head is packed full of small lavender flowers.
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
known by the common names beethistle and jointed coyote thistle. This plant is native to the northwestern United States from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, where it is a plant of marshes and riverbanks. This is a sturdy, branching perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herb
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
with rounded, naked stems reaching maximum heights over one meter. It has a few sparse sharply serrated leaves at nodes and branching points along its stem. Atop the stem is the rounded to egg-shaped flower head, which looks superficially like that of a thistle
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
, mainly due to its spikiness and lavender color. It is fringed with up to 17 spiny, toothed, pointed bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s, each up to about two centimeters long. Each flower head is packed full of small lavender flowers.