Pronunciation: SIR-see-um nee-o-mex-i-KAY-num
Common name: Desert thistle
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower)
Habitat: Canyons, slopes, rocky areas from 2500' to
about 7000', eastern Mojave Desert
Blooming period: April to May
Click for Latin name derivations: (1) Cirsium
(2) neomexicanum