About Echinops bovei Boiss.
Echinops spinosissimus, commonly called spiny globe thistle, is a plant species belonging to the tribe Cardueae of the family Asteraceae. It is native to southeastern Europe (including Sicily, Apulia, Greece, Albania, and the western Balkans), northern Africa, and southwest Asia, with its native range extending eastward to Iran. This species is a branching perennial herb that can grow up to 80 cm (2 feet) tall. Its leaves are divided into narrow triangular lobes, each ending in a slender but hard spine. The plant produces nearly spherical flower heads that hold many white or pale lavender disc florets, and do not produce any ray florets. The currently recognized subspecies of Echinops spinosissimus are: Echinops spinosissimus subsp. bithynicus (Boiss.) Greuter, Echinops spinosissimus subsp. bovei (Boiss.) Greuter, Echinops spinosissimus subsp. fontqueri (Pau) Greuter, Echinops spinosissimus subsp. macrolepis (Boiss.) Greuter, Echinops spinosissimus subsp. neumayeri (Vis.) Kožuharov, and Echinops spinosissimus subsp. spinosissimus.
