"Away they all flew like the down on a thistle... " Santa Claus notwithstanding, thistles are not the most lovable of plants. Every part seems to end in a spike or sticker. In fact, the only appealing part of the plant is its flower and the resulting seeds, the down of the poem. There are several related plants that all get called thistles all of which are considered noxious weeds. Here is Creative Commons photo of the thistle down, once the flower has produced seeds:
See Gene Wilburn in Creative Commons. I think the analogy in Twas the Night before Christmas, is faulty. Thistle down is non-directional and is carried on the wind. We would hope Santa's sleigh is more controllable.
See Gene Wilburn in Creative Commons. I think the analogy in Twas the Night before Christmas, is faulty. Thistle down is non-directional and is carried on the wind. We would hope Santa's sleigh is more controllable.
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