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Dipsacus fullonum L. / Dipsacus sylvestris
The inflorescence is a cylindrical array of lavender flowers which dries to a cone of spine-tipped hard bracts. It may be 10 cm long. D. fullonum is the wild form of Fuller's teasel; the cultivated form is generally recognised as a distinct species under the name Dipsacus sativus. It is a herbaceous biennial plants (rarely short-lived perennial plants) growing to 1 – 2.5 m tall.
It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is known in the Americas, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.
The seeds are an important winter food resource for some birds, notably the European Goldfinch. Teasels are often grown in gardens and encouraged on some nature reserves to attract them. Other names: die Wilde Karde, la Cardère sauvage A number of medicinal properties are claimed for the teasel, though not proven in medical trials: Cure of Lyme disease, Antibiotic, Improved circulation, Cure for warts, Eyewash (water collected in the cup formed by the sessile leaves)
Spotted on Sep 19, 2010
Submitted on Apr 3, 2013
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