When I grew up my mum had plants she referred to as 'Centurions' growing in her garden. She was not a gardener so asking her what they were would be pointless, and I'd love to get some for my garden, but they don't come up on Google searches under that name.
The flower head reminds me of a thistle. The whole head is dry and brown, and there's a couple of rows of yellow leaves along the top, like a Centurions helmet.
Can anyone identify this for me?