The Canyon Thistle is a hardy flower that blooms in the presence of ikran.
The canyon thistle is a subspecies of the sailfin blossom and is a part of the wider family of fiber producing plants that is common to the Western Frontier.
From a root base, a spray of feathery leaves grows. From the center of these leaves, several tall and distinctive stems grow. Each of these stems are covered with ribbony leaves that curve upwards, but only the tallest stem is crowned by a single, hard and shell-like flower, protected by a great profusion of these leaves. In dense fog, this bloom opens to reveal a "boll of fine, dense, fibers surrounding the plants seedpod.
The canyon thistle, like the rest of its genus is extremely adept at regulating its moisture levels which is linked to how the plant pollinates. The fibrous head of the plant maintains a constant moisture level, the fibers in the plant head acting as a freshwater store regulated by a great deal of aspiration on the main plant body.
Gathering the fiber of canyon thistle can only be done in the presence of a banshee.
Canyon thistle fiber is abrasive in its raw form, but after careful drying. brushing and expert weaving, it becomes and especially strong and silky yarn.
Fiber is a substance that grows in long threads or strands. The Na'vi gather many different plants for their various fibers which they use in weaving and other crafts, depending on their properties.