Description:  An erect slender winter annual, openly branched above, 1 to 3 feet. Basal leaves oblong and undivided, usually not present at flowering. Stem leaves 1/2 to 1 inch, pinnately divided into linear, short spiny, segments. Flowers slender, 1/2 to 1 inch long; flowers purplish, and rather inconspicuous. Seed most obvious character, one per head, barrel-shaped, topped with a ring of dark brown to black bristles.

Habitat: Native to southern Europe. Grows in waste areas, dry hills, rangeland, or grassy slopes. High seed production often produces dense patches that invade native plant communities quickly.

Distribution: Common crupina has one known location off Kelly Springs Road on Modoc National Forest northeast of Adin (Modoc County).

Flowering Period: June to July.

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