Onopordon ambiguum Fresen.
Diagnostic description:
Onopordum ambiguum Fresen., Beitr. Fl. Aegypt. Arab., Mus. Senckenberg. 1 : 85(1834). Plate comp. 89.
Biennial, greyish to Snow White, densely felty-tomentose thistle, up to c.1 m or more tall. Stem-wings shallowly lobed, spiny. Leaves all felty tomentose on both surfaces. Radical leaves rosetted, broadly elliptic, shallowly lobed, the lobes triangular, spinous-tipped, spiny margined; up to c. 30x10cm Cauline leaves sessile, decurrent into the stem-wings, gradually becoming smaller and entire above. Heads. depressed globose, 3-5cm across. Involucre densely white felty in the lower part tomentose. Involucral bracts ending in smooth, long needle-like spines up to c. 4 cm long, upper spines, middle spreading, lower reflexed, upper spines ending below the florets. Florets purple. Achenes 4- angled, compressed. Pappus of plumose bristles, the side-hairs longer than twice the width of bristles.
Saudi Arabia: Eastern region
Distribution: Middle East
Reference: flora of the kingdom Saudi Arabia lllustrated (Part 3)
St: Shatha Majrashi
Taxonomic name: