Cirsium eriophorum, the woolly thistle, is a tall
biennial plant native to Central and Western Europe. The large, globose flowers can be up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter. Each flower contains many tubular
florets, with long purple tubes and purple
stamens, each with a spiny
bract covered with white woolly hairs through which a spine projects. This woolly thistle was photographed in
Kozara National Park, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Photograph credit: Petar Milošević