[Thistles: The Genus Cirsium East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle

Cirsium eatonii var. peckii

Synonym: Cirsium peckii

Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

The photo above shows the terminal flower head of Peck's thistle as seen along the north loop road on the Steens Mt, Harney County, OR.......July 6, 2004.

Characteristics:

Peck's thistle is a native thistle with a single erect stem (or several unbranched stems arising from the base) having flower heads clustered at the base of each leaf along the stem. Plants range from two to four feet tall. Peck's thistle flowers in July and August.


Habitat:

Peck's thistle may be found on dry, open, rocky or gravelly slopes or meadows. It can be found from the foothills to the alpine summits of the Steens Mt.


Range:

Peck's thistle is endemic to the Steens Mt. in Harney County, OR or the nearby Pueblo Mts. It is fairly abundant within its range but is considered rare. Those who like to pull weeds should desist from pulling thistles along the roads in the Steens Mt area unless they are sure they are pulling weedy thistles rather than this attractive plant!


Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Steens Mountain thistle as seen along the North Loop Road (with bottlebrush squirreltail: Elymus elymoides at its foot) about one-half mile downhill from the Kiger Gorge Overlook, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon.........August 31, 2011.

Inflorescence of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Basal leaves of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Stem leaves and inflorescence of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Additional close-up photos of Steen's Mountain thistle as seen along the North Loop Road several hundred meters downhill from the springs at the head of Fish Creek, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon........August 31, 2011.

Plumed fruits of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Fruits of the Steens Mountain thistle as seen at Fish Lake Campground, Steens Mountain, Harney County, Oregon.......September 3, 2011.

Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Steens Mountain thistle as seen along the South Loop Road at the upper end of the Rooster Comb, Steens Mountain.........July 9, 2014.

Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Steens Mountain thistle as seen at the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain..........July 11, 2014.

Basal leaves of young plants of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Basal leaves of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Senescent Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Basal leaves of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Seeds of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) - Seed of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

Close-up images of the basal leaf rosettes and fruits of Steens Mountain thistles along the South Loop Road about one mile west of the East Rim Viewpoint, Steens Mountain.........September 20, 2015.

Flower head of Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii)

The photo above shows the terminal flower head of Peck's thistle as seen along the north loop road on the Steens Mt, Harney County, OR........July 6, 2004.

Peck's Thistle, Steen's Mountain Thistle: Cirsium eatonii var. peckii (Synonym: Cirsium peckii) and Hymenoxys hoopesii

The photo above shows both Peck's thistle and Hymenoxys hoopesii along the north loop road on the Steens Mt........July 6, 2004.

Paul Slichter