| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | So far, known from the Piedmont and Mountains. First collected in 1961 in Chatham County; the great majority of records are post-1990. Expected to occur in many more counties.
Native of Eurasia; in N.A. throughout the U.S. and southern Canada. | |
| Abundance | Infrequent to locally fairly common, but spreading rapidly. Populations vary greatly in number of individuals, but in Chatham (1961) and Moore (2015) counties both had populations estimated as "abundant." | |
| Habitat | Roadsides, fields, pastures, prairie-restoration area, industrial park, trailside. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting late May-October. | |
| Identification | Musk or Nodding Thistle is easily identified by the very broad, rose-purple, nodding head and winged stem. C. acanthoides has a smaller, erect head. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Nodding Thistle, Nodding Plumeless-thistle | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | UPL link |
| USACE-emp | UPL link |
