Hieronymus Cardanus Mediolanensis medicinae doctor aetatis LXXI. Carduus hic pupugit subtilem voce magistrum: / Ex herbis nomen das? Benedictus erit.
The Latin verse can be paraphrased as: The thistle ("carduus") here pricked the subtle master with its name. You name him after plants? Then he will be "Benedictus" (blessed). Carduus benedictus is a type of thistle widely used in medicine and known variously as Cnicus benedictus, Centaurea calcitrapa, Centaurea cyanus, Centaurea benedicta, and Carduus benedictus. The verse suggests that Cardano, being a prickly scholar, was well named after the thistle (carduus), and that because he was blessed with genius, the type of thistle would be the Benedictus or "blessed" one.