Echinops | |
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Echinops adenocaulos | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Subfamily: | Carduoideae |
Tribe: | Cardueae |
Subtribe: | Echinopsinae Dumort. |
Genus: | Echinops L. |
Species | |
About 130 species, see text |
Echinops /ˈɛkɪnɒps/[1] is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are distributed from central Asia, Mongolia and north-eastern China to the Mediterranean basin, temperate regions of Eurasia, reaching to Indian subcontinent and tropical Africa.[2][3] Globe thistle is the host plant of weevils Larinus vulpes and Larinus onopordi.[4]