(n)stemless perennial having large flowers with white or purple-brown florets nestled in a rosette of long spiny leaves hairy beneath; of alpine regions of southern and eastern Europe, Syn.Carlina acaulis
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
[ F. carline, It., Sp., & Pg., carlina. Said to be so called from the Emperor Charlemagne, whose army is reputed to have used it as a remedy for pestilence. ] (Bot.) A prickly plant of the genus Carlina (Carlina vulgaris), found in Europe and Asia. [ 1913 Webster ]