About Cirsium texanum Buckley
Cirsium texanum Buckley is a plant species belonging to the tribe Cardueae of the family Asteraceae, native to North America. Its common names are Texas thistle, Texas purple thistle, and southern thistle. This species is native to northern Mexico, including the states of Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas, as well as the southern Great Plains in the south-central United States. Most populations occur in Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico, with additional populations found in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri. It typically grows in prairies and along roadsides. Cirsium texanum is a biennial or perennial herb that reaches up to 80 cm (32 inches) in height. Its leaves have small, narrow spines along their edges. Flower heads can grow singly or in small groups; each head contains only light purple disc florets and has no ray florets. The flowers of this species produce nectar that feeds butterflies, its foliage serves as a food source for painted lady butterfly larvae, and goldfinches eat its seeds.
