Echinops spinosissimus
Echinops spinosissimus, the spiny globe thistle, is a European species of plant in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. It is native to southeastern Europe, northern Africa, and southwest Asia as far east as Iran.
Echinops spinosissimus is a branching perennial herb up to 80 cm tall. Leaves are divided into narrow triangular lobes, each with a slender but hard spine at the tip. The plant produces nearly spherical flower heads containing many white or pale lavender disc florets but no ray florets.
;SubspeciesEchinops spinosissimus subsp. bithynicus Greuter Echinops spinosissimus subsp. bovei Greuter Echinops spinosissimus subsp. fontqueri Greuter Echinops spinosissimus subsp. macrolepis Greuter Echinops spinosissimus subsp. neumayeri Kožuharov Echinops spinosissimus subsp. ''spinosissimus''