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Plant Profile

Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense)

Photo Credit: Lynn Robertson

Global Rank: T2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Asteraceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 130070
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense is a perennial herb which can grow up to 2 m in length. The stems are greenish purple in color, leaves are densely cobwebby, especially axially with velvety hairs. Purple to pink flowers bloom from April through October from erect stems. [Jepson]

Where is Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense can be found in wetlands on California's Central Coast within outcrops of serpentine soil.

Distribution:

Approximately 20 species are found in California's San Luis Obispo County. [CNPS]

States & Provinces:

Chorro Creek Bog Thistle can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense)?

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

California Botanic Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden holds 1 accessions of Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 200 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 3 accessions of Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 1297 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has collected 4 seed accessions of Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense from 4 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 30 maternal plants

01/01/2010

development utility construction tar sand mining diversion of water from seeps cattle grazing competition with alien plant recreational activities possibly dredging of Morro Bay stochastic extinction, road right-of-way maintenance

01/01/2010

known only from 8 locations around San Luis Obispo, total number of individuals estimated at < 3,000 around San Luis Obispo