Ackerfield, J.R. 2022. Hiding in plain sight: Two new species of alpine thistles, Cirsium culebraensis and C. funkiae (Cardueae) from the southern Rocky Mountains (United States). Capitulum 1(2): 1-15.
Taxonomic Comments
"This species has been hiding in plain sight under the binomial Cirsium scopulorum because of an erroneous original species description which stated that the corolla color was yellow (Gray, 1863). However, examination of the type material collected by Charles Parry and Elijah Hall helped sort out the taxonomy" (Ackerfield 2022).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-07-22
Change Date2022-07-22
Edition Date2022-07-22
Edition AuthorsTomaino, A. (2022)
Range Extent5000-20,000 square km (about 2000-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Cirsium funkiae is known only from Colorado and New Mexico on mountaintops in the Sangre de Cristo, Mosquito, and Tenmile Ranges (Ackerfield 2022).
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
Cirsium funkiae "occurs in high elevation spruce-fir forests and alpine tundra. It is primarily found on rocky scree slopes, in boulder fields, and alpine meadows" (Ackerfield 2022).
Ackerfield, J.R. 2022. Hiding in plain sight: Two new species of alpine thistles, <i>Cirsium culebraensis</i> and <i>C. funkiae</i> (Cardueae) from the southern Rocky Mountains (United States). Capitulum 1(2): 1-15.
Siniscalchi, C.M., J.R. Ackerfield, and R.A. Folk. 2023. Diversification and biogeography of North American thistles (<i>Cirsium</i>: Carduoideae: Compositae): Drivers of a rapid continent-wide radiation. International Journal of Plant Sciences 184: 322-341.