About Echinops echinatus Roxb.
Echinops echinatus, commonly called the Indian globe thistle and Usnakantaka, is a species of globe thistle. It is distributed in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Indian globe thistle is an erect, branched herb that grows to around 100 cm tall. It has short, stout stems that branch from the base, and the stems are covered in white cottony hair. Its leaves are alternately arranged, oblong, and deeply pinnatifid, measuring 7 to 12 cm in length. This plant produces flower heads that grow as solitary white spherical balls, 3 to 5 cm across. The tiny white disc florets have petals that are 5 mm long. The flowers are surrounded by straight, strong, white bristles. It is often misidentified as Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner, and has the colloquial common name Camel's thistle.
