thistle

The thistle as a symbol is inevitably associated with Scotland, although more often as a badge rather than appearing as an item upon a shield. A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P270 Despite its prickly reputation the images of this flowering plant are very striking and they are usually shown with leaves to either side in quite an accurate representation. A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:thistle