fuller’s teasel

Fuller's teasel, scientifically known as Dipsacus sativus, is a species within the genus Dipsacus, which belongs to the honeysuckle family. This plant, native to Europe, the Mediterranean area, and tropical Africa, is characterized by its prickly, coarse biennial nature with leaves that form a rainwater-holding trough around the stem.1

The dried flower heads of Fuller's teasel, with their spiny bracts, have been historically significant since Roman times for their use in raising the nap of woolen fabrics through a process called fulling. While this plant was once cultivated commercially for this purpose in Europe and North America, its use has largely been superseded by mechanical methods.1