Coyote Thistle

Eryngium vaseyi is a California endemic with a bioregional distribution that is defined by the Sacramento Valley, Inner South Coast Ranges and the South Coast; elevations of occurrence are bracketed by ten to 600 meters. The species is limited to very specialized habitats, consisting chiefly of vernal pools and small topographic depressions with alkaline soils.

Also known by the common name Coyote thistle, this plant has a decumbent to ascending growth form achieving a height of 15 to 50 centimeters; there is a horizontal branching form emanating from the main stem at a point one to five centimeters above the basal rosette. The lanceolate to oblong leaf blades are eight to 24 cm long and have petioles of one to four cm long; leaves are deeply pinnately sharply lobed. Heads of the inflorescence have a characteristic dimension of eight to 13 millimeters.

Eryngium vaseyi Coult. & Rose, Bot. Gaz. 13: 142. 1888
Rather stout, caulescent, glabrous perennials, 1.5-4 (or 6) dm. high, from a fascicle of woody-fibrous roots, the stems erect or ascending, branching above; basal leaves oblonglanceolate to ovate, 9-25 cm. long, 2-8 cm. broad, deeply pinnatifid, the segments unequal, narrow or broad, usually remote, spinulose-lobed or again pinnatifid; petioles very short, dilated, 1-4 cm. long; cauline leaves like the basal, the upper sessile, opposite; inflorescence corymbose, the heads rather small, numerous, short-pedunculate, the flowers numerous; heads subglobose, 5-10 mm. in diameter; bracts about 8, rigid, spreading, linear-subulate, 5-15 (or 25) mm. long, densely spinose with 1-5 pairs of lateral, but no dorsal spines, shorter than to greatly exceeding the heads; bractlets like the bracts, the terminal longest, 5-15 mm. long, exceeding the fruit, usually with 1-3 pairs of lateral spines or rarely entire and with a short and broad scarious wing at the base which enfolds the fruit; coma wanting; sepals lanceolate to ovate, 1-3 mm. long, acute or obtuse, mucronate, scarious-margined, entire or occasionally somewhat spinose; petals oblong, 1-1.5 mm. long; styles shorter or longer than the sepals; fruit ovoid, 2-3 mm. long, densely covered with appressed, white, subequal, lanceolate scales 0.5-1 mm. long, or the calycine scales slightly the longest. Type locality: San Antonio River, Monterey County, California, Vasey 222. Distribution: Vernal pools; upper Salinas and San Joaquin valleys, interior central California

Eryngium vaseyi is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name coyotethistle. It is endemic to California, where it is known from vernal pools and similar wet habitat in the Central Valley and certain areas of the Central Coast Ranges and southern California coast. This is a decumbent to upright perennial herb with spreading branches up to half a meter long. The lance-shaped to oblong leaves may be up to 24 centimeters long. The edges are deeply cut into narrow, sharp-pointed lobes. The inflorescence is an array of somewhat rounded flower heads surrounded by several narrow, pointed bracts with spiny edges. The head blooms in whitish petals.