Quote:If we accept that the real plant might have alternate leaves, rather than opposite leaves as in the VMS plant, then there are about 50 more plants that might match (including many of the thistles).
I think that would be a reasonable admission, because the whole look of the plant is apparently non-naturalistic - the roots are the same as leaves. Also note that in the figure they are not opposite exclusively. They are mostly opposite, but partly alternate still. And those that are opposite are in fact not strictly opposite but look as a single leaf awkwardly "pierced through".
Need to look what Pliny writes upon Carthamus. According to my approach, he should not have written anything interesting on this, because the roots here are not peculiar.