Common name:
Milk thistle
Family:
Scientific name:
Silybum marianum
Main flower color:
Range:
Commonest in southeast England; also found in other areas, mostly coastal. Native or introduced
Height:
Up to 100 cm
Habitat:
Dry grassland and cliffs, near the sea
Flowers:
Globular flowerheads up to 6 cm in diameter, topped by reddish-purple florets and ringed by large, hairless, bracts, tapering to a sharp, yellowish spine. Flowerheads form singly at the top of the stout, hairy stem, which is grooved, unwinged and hairy
Leaves:
Hairless, bright green with lighter-coloured veins, lined with a few wavy, spine-tipped lobes, Stem leaves have clasping bases
Season:
June to August
Rarity:
★★★★★
