Fountain Thistle
See photo info

Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

FOUNTAIN THISTLE
(Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale)

CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register  60:6671  (pdf); February 3, 1995).

CRITICAL HABITAT:  None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN: Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, September 30, 1998 (pdf format)

DESCRIPTION:

Fountain Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale) is a herbaceous perennial of the aster family (Asteraceae) with several stout, erect, reddish stems 1-2 feet high. The basal leaves are 4-8 inches long with spine-tipped lobes; the leaves on the stems are smaller.

Dull white to pinkish flowers bloom from June to October. They become brown with age. Egg-shaped, recurved bracts beneath the flower head distinguish fountain thistle from the most similar thistle in the area, Alameda County thistle (Cirsium quercetorum).

The nearest relative of C. fontinale var. fontinale, Chorro Creek bog thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense), is found further south, in San Luis Obispo County. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description of these species.

DISTRIBUTION:

Fountain thistle is restricted to perpetually moist clay openings in riparian or serpentine chaparral. Historically, this plant occurred in both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, but it is now found in only four locations in San Mateo County.

Serpentine soils are formed from weathered volcanic (ultramafic) rocks such as serpentinite, dunite and peridotite. These soils provide a harsh environment for plant growth. Several factors contribute to the inhospitability of serpentine soils to plant growth including: 1) a low calcium-magnesium ratio; 2) lack of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous; and 3) high concentrations of heavy metals (mineral toxicity). However, species such as Fountain Thistle  have adapted to serpentine soils and require them to survive.

THREATS:

Trail construction would threaten the plants through direct destruction of the habitat or through modification of hydrologic regimes. Because fountain thistle is dependent upon seeps and springs to provide abundant soil moisture, any disruption in the flow of water (such as that caused by road, trail, or drain construction) would threaten the plants.

The Crystal Springs Reservoir population is threatened by several factors, including roadside maintenance. Nonnative plants such as pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) have established themselves, and threaten several subpopulations of fountain thistle. Dumping of garden debris from households on the ridge above the plants covers plants and renders the habitat unsuitable for plant establishment and growth.

STATE & CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY STATUS:

This species was listed as endangered by the California Department of Fish and Game in July 1979. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1995. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Ten Plants and Threatened Status for Two Plants From Serpentine Habitats in the San Francisco Bay Region of California. Portland, Oregon.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998.  Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Photo credit: Fountain Thistle by J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan © California Academy of Sciences ID: 8253 3202 0971 0119

Prepared by Endangered Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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