Teasel  (Dipsacus fullonum)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

Teasels earn their name as the spiky flower heads were used to comb woollen cloth, to ‘tease’ out the fibres prior to spinning (from the Old English teasan, meaning to tease) (3) (4). The heads of fuller’s teasel (D. sativus) have curved spines; they were also used to raise the pile, or ‘nap’ of cloth (4). Wild teasel is a tall and rather statuesque plant, with a deeply angled and furrowed stem (2). The leaves at the base of this stem form a rosette, whereas those occurring on the stem are arranged in pairs. The Romans called the plant ‘lavacrum Veneris’, meaning the basin of Venus, as these stem leaves are joined at the base, forming rainwater-collecting cups surrounding the stem (3). The tube-like flowers are purplish-rose in colour, and are protected by the spines (2).

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