Question about a "mutant" columbine?

Question:A friend has a perennial flower growing in his yard that appears to be a columbine in every way...foilage, flower stem, bloom time...but the flowers are spiky little mauve-colored balls! They look nothing like a traditional columbine but instead are more aster-like but without the center. Can anyone help us identify this plant? Any help will be greatly appreciated, as we have searched extensively and still can't identify it! Thank you!

Answers:
maybe a nora barlow columbine. heres a picture of them.

http://www.sunriseseeds.com/images/colum...

this is a stretch.. but maybe a thistle??

can you post a picture somewhere?

maybe its astrantia.

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