Taxon Report
Cirsium scariosum Nutt. var. loncholepis (Petr.) D.J. KeilLa Graciosa thistle |
 © 2012 Anuja Parikh and Nathan Gale |
Taxon Summary
Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis, commonly known as La Graciosa thistle, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Cismontane woodland, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps (brackish), and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 4 to 220 meters. Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Cirsium scariosum Nutt. var. loncholepis (Petr.) D.J. Keil |
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Common Name: |
La Graciosa thistle |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Element Code: | PDAST2E1N0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial herb |
| Blooming Period: May-Aug | May-Aug |
| Elevation: | 4-220 (15-720) |
| General Habitats: | Cismontane woodland, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps, Valley and foothill grassland |
| Microhabitat: | Mesic, Sandy |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G5T1 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | CT |
| Fed List: | FE |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 23 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 3 |
| Fair (C) | 3 |
| Poor (D) | 1 |
| None (X) | 14 |
| Unknown (U) | 2 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Guadalupe (3412085), Los Alamos (3412063), Oceano (3512015), Orcutt (3412074)*, Point Sal (3412086), Sisquoc (3412073), Surf (3412065)* | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 14 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 21 | 91 % | |
| Other | 14 | 60% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 8 | 34% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 7 | 30% |
| Feral pigs | 6 | 26% |
| Grazing | 6 | 26% |
| ORV activity | 5 | 21% |
| Agriculture | 4 | 17% |
| Development | 4 | 17% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 3 | 13% |
| Mining | 3 | 13% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 3 | 13% |
| Biocides | 2 | 8% |
| Improper burning regime | 1 | 4% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 1 | 4% |
Selected References
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Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt. Zweite Abteilung, Systematik, Pflanzengeographie, angewandte Botanik 35(2[2/3]): 375–378. 1917. (Beih. Bot. Centralbl., Abt. 2) |
| La Graciosa Thistle (Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis) Recovery Plan (USFWS 2021) |
| Status of Endangered La Graciosa Thistle Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis (Asteraceae) in Coastal Southern California |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 October 2025].