Carlina acaulis - Stemless Carline Thistle

Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Equisetopsida - Order: Asterales - Family: Asteraceae

The flowers of carline thistles, of which there are several species, appear to be 'dead' even when they are young and fresh. Stemless Carline Thistle has either no stem (sessile) or a very short stem.

Description

Stemless Carline Thistle is a spiny perennial plant with distinctive brown and gold daisy-like compound flower heads. The deeply lobed spiny leaves form a rosette..

Distribution

Not native to Britain, the Stemless Carline Thistle is moderately abundant across central and southern Europe, much of North Africa and in parts of western Asia.

Habitat

Carline Thistle grows on dry alkaline subalpine grassland and sometimes on rocky slopes.

Blooming Times

The flowers of Stemless Carline Thistle can be seen from June to September. The dead flower heads often persist into the following spring.

Uses

A wide range of insects, including bees and particularly butterflies, appear to be very fond of the flowers of Stemless Carline Thistle.

Etymology

Carlina, the genus name, honors the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 - 1558), or Charlemagne, who legend has it used this plant to cure his army of the plague. The specific epithet acaulis comes from Latin and means 'without a stem'.

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