# mysterious flower



## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

I found this growing in a field near my house. I thought it might be some sort of thistle? I'm in Missouri Ozarks


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

I didn't get the rest in the photo but it looks very prickly like a thistle.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

I like it but dont know what it is


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

It is striking. I stopped the truck to get a shot of it.


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

Took a couple more. Maybe it is a thistle without its hat?


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

It's a type of milk thistle. I found other pictures online of similarly coloured milk thistle flowers. Here is one.

<TABLE style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-SPACING: 0px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px" abp="64"><TBODY abp="65"><TR abp="66"><TD abp="67"><SVG id=img_watermark abp="71"><LINE class=img_watermark_line abp="72" x1="0%" y1="100%" x2="100%" y2="0%" /><LINE class=img_watermark_line abp="73" x1="0%" y1="0%" x2="100%" y2="100%" /></SVG abp="74">

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/ipm1015
I found this, maybe musk thistle?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Sure what it looks like to me. Your site says it's regulated by Missouri noxious weed laws. It's so pretty, such a shame it's an invasive nuisance.


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

Yeah, that could be a problem.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

FakeMountainMan said:


> http://extension.missouri.edu/p/ipm1015
> I found this, maybe musk thistle?


I think you're right that it's musk thistle. I'd never heard of it before you posted the above link. I looked it up on some other sites, the flowers are the same and I can understand why it's considered a noxious invasive - if left to itself to spread apparently it can form into impenetrable barriers up to 9 feet high.


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

Well its dead now. I went and hacked it down once I knew better


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

They become a problem real fast if not controlled.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Just hacked it down? It's not dead if it's anything like canadian thistle. It'll live for years and years, even if you dig out the roots. Miss one tiny piece and it will come back with a vengeance.


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

I'll have to go back and look it up. I think it will die out if its not allowed to go to seed, but I could be wrong.


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## FakeMountainMan (Jul 9, 2014)

According to that site the Canadian thistle is a perennial so your right about that. The musk thistle is biennial.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Good to know. It shouldn't survive then.


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