Silver Thistle Down

Carlina acaulis

Carlina acaulis, the stemless carline thistle, dwarf carline thistle, or silver thistle, is a perennial dicotyledonous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to alpine regions of central and southern Europe. The specific name acaulis and common names are descriptive of the manner in which its flower head rests directly upon a basal leaf rosette. The plant is named after Charlemagne who searched for a treatment against the plague. He dreamed of an angel who told him to shoot an arrow in the sky and see on what plant the arrow would hit. This plant would bring relieve to the plague. The plant the arrow hit was the Carlina acaulis, the roots of the plant were distributed among the population following which the plague diminished.

Thistle

Thistle is the popular name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp spikes on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the plant – on the stem, and on the flat parts of the leaves. These prickles protect the plant from herbivores. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape, similar to a cup or urn, subtends each of a thistle's flower heads. The typically feathery pappus of a ripe thistle flower is known as thistle-down.

Silver

Silver is a chemical element; it has symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and reflectivity of any metal. Silver is found in the Earth's crust in the pure, free elemental form, as an alloy with gold (electrum) and other metals, and in minerals such as acanthite, argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is recovered as a byproduct of lead–zinc, copper and gold mining and refining.

Shades of purple

There are numerous variations of the color purple, a sampling of which is shown below.

silver

Noun

1. A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag.
2. Coins made from silver or any similar white metal.

Adjective

1. Made from silver.
2. Made from another white metal.

thistle

Noun

1. Any of several perennial composite plants, especially of genera Cirsium, Carduus, Cynara, or Onopordum, having prickly leaves and showy flower heads with prickly bracts.
2. This plant seen as the national emblem of Scotland.

down

Adverb

1. From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.
2. To or towards what is considered the bottom of something, irrespective of whether this is presently physically lower.

Preposition

1. From the higher end to the lower of.
2. From north to south of.