Carlina acaulis – Stemless Carline Thistle – Carline Thistle –

Description

Carlina – Carline Thistle – There are about 28 species of annuals and perennials, in this genus. They occur in poor soils in Mediterranean Europe, Western Africa and Asia. The leaves form basal rosettes and are sharply spiny and smooth edged to pinnatisect. Large, solitary or cyme like, occasionally stemless flower heads are borne in summer, these have shiny, glossy, densely massed florets or papery bracts and, in most species, are good for drying. The smaller species are suitable for a rock garden. Grow in poor, well drained soil in full sun, soil must not become waterlogged or the stems will rot. C. acaulis – Stemless Carline Thistle – This clump forming, short lived perennial or monocrapic biennial from alpine pastures of Southern and Eastern Europe grows 4″ tall and 10-24″ wide. It produces basal rosettes of pinnatifid to pinnatisect, elliptic-oblong, spiny edged leaves, to 12″ long. In mid and late summer it bears stemless flowers, to 4″ diameter, with silvery, pinkish bracts surrounding a pale brown centers, carried in the center of the rosette. Zones 5-8