teasel

teasel, common name for some members of the Dipsacaceae, a family of chiefly Old World herbs found mostly in the Mediterranean and Balkan areas but ranging to India and to S Africa. Species of Dipsacus and Scabiosa have become widely naturalized in America. Scabiosa, commonly called sweet scabious, mourning bride, or pincushion flower (for its head of small, lacy flowers) includes several ornamentals and was formerly used as a remedy for the itch (scabies). Fuller's teasel (D. fullonum) is a noxious biennial weed whose heads of small flowers bear sharp prongs have been used in the textile industry for teasing or raising the nap on wool. Teasels are often used in everlasting bouquets. Teasels are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Dipsacales.

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teasel

Any of about 15 species constituting the genus Dipsacus of the family Dipsacaceae (the teasel family), native to Europe, the Mediterranean area, and tropical Africa. Many teasels are prickly, coarse biennials with tall-domed heads of numerous, four-lobed flowers that sit on a crownlike circle of spiny, narrow bracts. The spiny, dry fruiting heads of fuller's teasel (D. sativus) have been used since Roman times to raise the nap of woolen fabrics in a process known as fulling.

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teasel, teazel, teazle

1. any of various stout biennial plants of the genus Dipsacus, of Eurasia and N Africa, having prickly leaves and prickly heads of yellow or purple flowers: family Dipsacaceae

2. 

a. the prickly dried flower head of the fuller's teasel, used for teasing

b. any manufactured implement used for the same purpose

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teasel

indicates hatred of mankind. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 178]

See : Misanthropy