Fog's Hesmistepta (Hemisteptia lyrata) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Fog's Hesmistepta is a wild plant native to parts of Asia and eastern Australia. It resembles a thistle, but its leaves and stems have no sharp spines, and its branches end in upright, pale purple flower heads.

Appearance

Appearance: The upright stems are commonly about 2–2.6 ft (60–80 cm) tall and branch near the top. Each branch ends in an upright, pale purple flower head.
Growth form: It begins as a low of leaves, then sends up a flowering stem.
Leaves: Lower leaves are long and deeply divided, with dense white hairs beneath. The margins are soft rather than sharply spiny.
Fruit: Each small dry fruit carries two rows of white hairs, with the longer hairs divided like tiny feathers.

Look-alikes

Canada thistleCirsium arvense

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) has sharp spines along its irregular leaf edges and usually forms connected patches from creeping roots. This plant has soft, spineless leaves.

Why they get mixed upBoth have pink-purple flower heads.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: sunny roadsides
field edges
open disturbed ground
Range: It is native across parts of Asia and eastern Australia. No native U.S. range is documented.
Preferred conditions: In Japan, it grows in bright, open places.

Life cycle

Reproduction: It reproduces by seed.

Name and classification

About the name: It has also been called Saussurea lyrata, and Hemistepta lyrata is another spelling.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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