[ley-deez-this-uh
l] 
| a composite plant, Silybum marianum, of the Mediterranean region, having glossy, spiny leaves and purplish-red flower heads. |
| lady's thistle | |
noun | |
| tall Old World biennial thistle with large clasping white-blotched leaves and purple flower heads; naturalized in California and South America [syn: milk thistle] |