Family: Asteraceae (composites)
Flowering time: July–September
Size: 1–15 cm
Habitat: meadows, pastures, shrubby places, bright forests and forest edges
The prickly carline, or stemless carline (Carlina acaulis) usually has a very short stem and leaves crowded in a basal rosette. Less commonly the stem is up to 15 cm tall and leafy all the way to the inflorescence. The pinnately lobed leaves are, as the name prickly nun would suggest, spiny and therefore distinctly bristly; they are 8 to 25 cm long. The plant usually develops a single head, which together with the silvery-white inner involucral leaves is typically 4 to 5 cm wide. Rarely there are two heads or more.
Known are the medicinal properties of the prickly nun, which people have used to relieve urinary, digestive, and respiratory problems, to ease skin inflammations, prevent infections, and promote wound healing.
The prickly nun grows on acidic soils in very sunny locations. It is widespread throughout Slovenia.
