Botanical name: Echinops niveus
Snow-White Globe Thistle is a spiny herb with simple stem, densely cottony. Leaves are up to 20 cm long, bipinnately cut, divided into linear spiny segments, margins recurved, densely cottony beneath. Flower-heads are spherical, 6-8 cm across, spines not projecting. Outer involucre bracts are few, spoon-shaped, spine-tipped, inner fused when mature, 2-3 cm long. This was photographed at the foothills of Chamundi Hills, Mysore in the morning of 5th October, 2011 during my morning ride in search of flowers.
