Teasels are biennial herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They’ve been introduced to the Americas, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They are considered invasive in the United States, but I don’t remember ever observing one until last week on a back road of California’s central coast.

The genus name (Dipsacus) is derived from dipsa, Greek for thirst, and refers to the cup-like formation made where sessile (stem-less) leaves merge at the main stem. Rainwater collects in these receptacles.

The common name teasel is from the verb “to tease”. The fuller’s teasel was once widely used in textile processing. The dried flower heads were attached to spindles, wheels, or cylinders, sometimes called teasel frames, to tease or raise the nap on fabrics, particularly wool. Eventually they were replaced with metal combs.