Mexican thistle

Appearance

The leaves as well as the bracts around the flower are bristle-toothed. It grows 1 1/2-2 feet tall, with a heavy, stout stem densely branched on the upper half. The stems are smooth, but the leaves are divided into sharp lobes on each side of a midrib. The flowers are clustered on a more or less egg-shaped head, up to 3/5 inch long and smaller at the end and about 1/2 inch across. They are surrounded by showy, spiny leaf bracts. When the tiny, silvery-looking flowers mature, they turn sky-blue.

Naming

Eryngium heterophyllum Engelm.
Common names: Mexican thistle, Wright's eryngo, Wright's Coyote-thistle
Synonym: Eryngium wrightii

Distribution

Southeastern Arizona east to western Texas and south to Mexico.

Habitat

Sandy soil in grasslands, open woods, and along watercourses, usually in mountains.

Uses

It is an attractive plant, suited for use in flower arrangements, as the flowers hold their form and color for an extended period and can be handled easily enough if one is careful in cutting them.