Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus (M. Bieb.) Kazmi

Posted byTrajche DimitrovskiPosted inCompositae

Taxonomy: Fam. Compositae// Genus:  Carduus// Species: Carduus pycnocephalus L.// Subspecies: Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus (M. Bieb.) Kazmi.

Determined according to the botanical keys by Rocha Afonso and do Amaral Franco (1976 in Tutin et al.).

Lifeform: Annual plant. Therophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution: Carduus pycnocephalus L. is native to Macaronesia, from Europe to Pakistan and Arabian Peninsula, North Africa; Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus is distributed from Southeast Europe to Central Asia and Pakistan according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Open habitats, usually on disturbed ground- near roads, cultivated land and settlements, wastelands.

Flowering period: Spring to summer (MAY, JU, JUL).

Locality: gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 08.05.2021.

Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – winged stems and upper cauline leaves. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – winged stem. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – middle cauline leaves. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower part of stem with lower cauline leaves . Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 08.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 22.05.2021.

Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – fruiting capitula. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – cauline leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaves. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaf. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 22.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: village of Beli region. Date: 24.05.2021.

Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – habit. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – capitula. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – fruiting capitula. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – middle cauline leaves. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaf. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.
Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus – lower cauline leaf. Osogovo, near village of Beli, 24.05.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Carduus pycnocephalus L. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:188996-1 [Accessed 28.08.2021].

Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus. Greuter, W. 2006+: Compositae (pro parte majore). – In: Greuter, W. & Raab-Straube, E. von, Compositae. Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/f8a45391-3911-4e42-8d24-9f8c6edd13df [Accessed 07.03.2026].

Carduus pycnocephalus subsp. albidus (M.Bieb.) Kazmi. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77181563-1 [Accessed 07.03.2026].

do Amaral Franco, J.; key prepared by Rocha Afonso, M.L. 1976. Carduus L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 220–232.

Last update: 07.03.2026.