Cirsium brevistylum Cronquist

Taprooted perennial. Stems branched above, with coarse cobwebby hairs especially below, (25)–60–130–(200) cm tall, strongly ribbed, not winged. Lvs lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, shallowly pinnatifid, green above, whitish beneath, (6)–10–25–(30) × (2)–3–7–(10) cm, with sparse soft multicellular hairs above and dense cobwebby tomentum beneath; lobes deltoid; prickles pale, 5–10 mm long. Capitula ovoid, waisted at flowering, erect, 2.5–3.5 × 2.5–3 cm, subsessile, in clusters of 3–4 or rarely solitary. Outer involucral bracts deltoid to lanceolate, with cobwebby hairs; apex acuminate, with strong spine 3–4–(6) mm long, suberect or erecto-patent. Inner involucral bracts linear, with short fine bristly hairs at least on margins; apex acute, not spinous, erect. Corolla purplish red, 18–25 mm long; lobes c. 3 mm long. Style not or barely exserted beyond corolla lobes. Achenes pale, narrowly obovoid, 3–4 × c. 1.5 mm; pappus 15–25 mm long; cilia on pappus bristles 3–5 mm long.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Dec.–Jan.–(Feb.); Fruiting: (Dec.)–Jan.–Feb.