Downy burdock

Description:

Woolly Burdock is a tall biennial, reaching as much as 2.5 m. The fleshy tap-root can grow up to 1m long. The stout, grooved, rough stem has multiple branches. Basal leaf stems are hollow or solid. It has large (up to 40 cm) alternating, heart shaped leaves that have a long petiole, very wavy margins and are pubescent on the underside. The flowers are purple and grouped in globular flower head, united in clusters. The flower head is surrounded by a whorls of bracts, each curving to form a Velcro like hook, allowing them to be carried long distances on the fur of animals. Bracts are densely cobwebby.

Habitat:

grows in Europe and western Asia.