Silybum marianum
Chardon Marie
Milk Thistle
Additional information
| Plant family | |
|---|---|
| Area | Provence Verte |
| Flower colour | purple |
| Flower size | 25-40 mm |
| Flowering months | April, May, June |
| Leaf type | Pinnatisect |
| Height | 2 m |
Description
Fields, roadsides, olive groves.
Flowers
flowerheads are purple, solitary at the end of a branched stem. The florets are tubular, bracts are oblong, terminating in 7 cm spines.
Leaves
Pinnatisect leaf is deeply lobed, almost to the central midrib. Basal: deeply divided almost to central midrib, white spiny margins. Upper: clasping stem, smaller.
Fruits Seeds
Achene: a cluster of 1-seeded fruit with tufts of hair.
Edible
Leaves: spines removed and steamed, taste like spinach.
Medical
Seeds: traditionally used to treat ‘fatty liver’ after excessive alcohol use, hepatitis A & B, cirrhoses of the liver and gallbladder problems.
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