Definition

Noun: 1. A thistle of the genus Carlina: A type of spiny, herbaceous plant belonging to the daisy family (Asteraceae), characterized by its distinctive, often straw-colored or silvery, chaffy bracts that surround the flower head. These plants are native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

Usage Notes

• "Carline thistle" refers specifically to plants within the botanical genus . It is a common name, not a scientific one.
• The term is typically used in botanical, horticultural, or ecological contexts.
• It is often found in singular form ("a carline thistle") or plural ("carline thistles") when referring to multiple plants.

Examples

• The dry, rocky hillside was dotted with the silvery flower heads of the carline thistle.
• Carlina acaulis, the stemless carline thistle, is a notable species often found in alpine meadows.
• Botanists study the carline thistle for its unique adaptation to arid environments.

Advanced Usage

• The dried flower heads of some carline thistle species, such as , were historically used as weather predictors, as their bracts close in humid air.
• In some folk traditions, the root of the carline thistle was used for medicinal purposes.

Variants and Related Words

• Carlina (n): The scientific genus name for carline thistles.
• Stemless carline thistle (n): A common name for .
• Common carline thistle (n): A common name for .

Synonyms

• Thistle (n): A broader term for many prickly plants in the family Asteraceae, which includes the genus .

Noun

1. a thistle of the genus Carlina