milk thistle

Milk thistle, Silybum marianum, a dicot, is an annual or perennial herb that is not native to California; it was introduced from elsewhere and naturalized in the wild. It’s bloom period is April-July. This plant has known uses according to Wikipedia.

Description   Distribution and habitat   Chemistry   Research   Toxicity   Use as food   Animal toxicity

additional informational links: Wikipedia , Calflora 

click image for maximum resolution