Taxon Report

Cirsium fontinale (Greene) Jeps. var. fontinale

fountain thistle

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale, commonly known as fountain thistle, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (openings), Cismontane woodland, Meadows and seeps, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 45 to 175 meters. Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Cirsium fontinale (Greene) Jeps. var. fontinale
Common Name:	fountain thistle
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST2E161
USDA Plants Symbol:	CIFOF
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: (Apr)May-Oct	(Apr)May-Oct
Elevation:	45-175 (150-575)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Meadows and seeps, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Seeps, Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	5
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Mateo (SMT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Palo Alto (3712242), San Mateo (3712253), Woodside (3712243)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	10
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	100 %
Non-native plant impacts	4	80%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	3	60%
Development	2	40%
Other	2	40%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	40%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	1	20%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	20%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	20%
Hybridization	1	20%
ORV activity	1	20%

Notes



Seriously threatened by urbanization, foot traffic, dumping, road maintenance, non-native plants, and hydrological alterations. See Bulletin of the California Academy of Sciences 2:151-152 (1886) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].