Russian Thistle ID/Variants?

[NemJones]

The warm weather is finally moving in, turning the frozen tundra back into a desert.
Which in turn, signals massive windstorms to sweep down from the mountians.

And with those giant wind storms.. Comes hordes of tumbleweeds.

It got me wondering though, because I have seen Quite a few different varieties.
Most of them (like the one below) Look fluffy/fuzzy on their branches, more of a cream color, with few spines. However, I have also seen some that are very brown, denser, And look closer to barb wire as they are practically nothing more than a ball of spines.

Online, the pictures still look different than anything blowing around here,
But they all have the uniform stem break.

Does anybody know anything on russian thistles and their variants?
Can anyone identify this one?

 

[Monkey]

This is the area I'm from.

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[NemJones]

This is the area I'm from.

OH GOD!

Thats absolute lunacy.
Ive never seen such obliteration of any town
from such sheer numbers.


Heres what happened near my part of town from what looks like the same timeframe.

 

[Monkey]

DUDE! That's a whole new beast.

 

[NemJones]

Can you even imagine if that town caught on fire?

And spawned MORE Apocalyptic Flaming Tumbleweed Deathnatoes??

I get nervous in fire season because tumbleweeds seem to like to combust on their own

 

[Monkey]

Unless there's a large concentration they don't seem to burn long enough to spread the flames.