Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

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Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris)
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(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 01) Teasel is a native of Europe, which was planted in the United States because of its commercial value of its dried heads in the processing of wool. Teasel are thistle-like in appearance, but actually belong to their own family, Teasel (Dipsacaceae). The teasel in this photo are just coming into bloom. As can be seen in this photo, the stems are covered with prickles.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 02) In this enlargement of the teasel head, we can see the many individual flowers and the developing spines growing between the flowers at the top. In the mature head these spines will develop between most of the flowers.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 03) The new teasel replace the old. In the foreground are the dried remains of last year's plants with many of the head spines and stem prickles missing. It was the freshly dried heads that had commercial value in the wool industry. We are thankful, today, for the many alternatives to wool, so that at least some sheep can be spared the abuse associated with commercial shearing.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 04) This is an enlarged view of a portion of a teasel head showing the flower buds as they are opening.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 04a) This is a close up view of a couple of the spines on the teasel head. Yes, they are as sharp as they look! Note that the spines also have little prickles. The use of the teasel spiny heads for "teasing" woolen cloth led to its common name, teasel.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 04b) In this enlarged photo, we can see the individual flowers opening and the spines growing between them. Each fully developed flower is about 1/2 inch long. Each irregular, tubular shaped, teasel flower has four lobes forming its corolla, 4 stamens, and 1 pistil. An anther can be seen developing on the stamen in the lower right flower.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 05) This is an enlarged view of the buds of the white teasel. We are not sure if the beads of moisture are from dew or from a natural secretion of the the teasel.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 06) God's artwork! The background of loosestrife adds beauty to these white teasel. The same is true of all our natural environment, if we take the time to see it. The opposite is also true; for when we destroy one aspect of our environment, some beauty is lost from what remains.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 06a) Note the thorns on the underside of the sepals (the leaf-like structures that form the calyx at the base of the flowering head of the white teasel). This wildflower has quite a defense mechanism!

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 07) Teasel bloom from July to October. As shown in this photo, the blooms most often develop in bands around the head. We have not been able to find any explanation for this phenomenon. This photo also provides us a good side view of the thorns on the sepal. Even though God cursed the ground with thorns and thistles, because of Adam's disobedience (Genesis 3:17-18), He sets upon them beautiful flowers to remind us of His grace.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 08) On 31 July 2017, we spotted this white teasel growing along the side of the road, as we were on one of our walks.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 09) This is a closer look at the white teasel. The berries above and behind the white teasel are growing on an eastern red cedar tree.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 10) This is a look at one of the white teasel blooms, but unlike most of the others, this one doesn't seem to be blooming in bands, for we can see flowers developing in many areas.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 10a) This is a bee's eye view of the white teasel bloom with its developing flowers.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 11) We were walking the same way the following day, 1 Aug 2017, and stopped to see the same white teasel we had looked at the previous day and took some more photos. Note how many more flowers had developed on each blooming head.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 12) In this look at this white teasel, we can see that many of the flowering stocks develop from the leaf axils of other stems with flowering heads.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 13) This is another look at the white teasel with many more flowers developing that we saw the previous day.

(Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) - 14) Notice that in this bee's eye view of the flowering head of a white teasel that all of the flower "cells" on the head have developed buds or flowers.

| Wild Flowers of SHL: Photo Identification, Common Name, Scientific Name | Art and Photos |

lamb-right lamb-left Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation. Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion. It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.

Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris) Table of Contents

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Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

Teasel, White (Dipsacus Sylvestris)
Table of Contents