Scotch thistle

American  

noun

1. a tall, prickly plant, Onopordum acanthium, native to Eurasia, having stems and leaves covered with cottony down and solitary purple flower heads: the national emblem of Scotland.

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Example Sentences

Clutching her teddy bear, the curly-haired Princess sits upon Newfoundland's new stamp between a Scotch thistle and an English rose.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Lady's Thistle, which some believe to be the true Scotch thistle, is one of the many plants associated with the Virgin.

From Storyology Essays in Folk-Lore, Sea-Lore, and Plant-Lore by Taylor, Benjamin

When Australia was first colonised, any sensible man might have foreboded sorrel, cockspur, Scotch thistle, &c., as unwelcome, but unavoidable, adjuncts of settlement.

From Such Is Life by Furphy, Joseph

The Scotch thistle seemed likely at one stage to usurp the whole grass country.

From The Long White Cloud by Reeves, William Pember

Of course opinions differ as to what was or is the true Scotch thistle, but of the several varieties of thistles many beliefs are entertained.

From Storyology Essays in Folk-Lore, Sea-Lore, and Plant-Lore by Taylor, Benjamin