Cirsium amplexifolium
(Nakai) Kitam.
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Wikimedia Commons - Qwert1234
wikimedia· cc0
Wikimedia Commons - Qwert1234
Summary
Cirsium amplexifolium is a self-fertile perennial reaching 1.5 m tall, flowering July to October with seeds ripening August to October. This hermaphrodite plant attracts bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles for pollination. It grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acid, neutral, or basic pH, requiring full sun and moist soil.
Description
Cirsium amplexifolium is a self-fertile perennial reaching 1.5 m tall, flowering July to October with seeds ripening August to October. This hermaphrodite plant attracts bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles for pollination. It grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acid, neutral, or basic pH, requiring full sun and moist soil.
Edible Uses
The root is edible cooked. It is likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans, passing straight through the digestive system and, in some people, fermenting to produce flatulence.
Traditional Uses
The root is cooked and eaten.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
None known
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It grows on the edges of forests between 500-1,000 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, Japan,
Propagation
Seed — sow in early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2–8 weeks at 20°C. Division in spring or autumn is also straightforward — larger clumps can be replanted directly into permanent positions, while smaller clumps are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until rooting well, then planted out in summer or the following spring.
Other Uses
The seed of all thistle species yields a good oil by expression, though no details of potential yields are given.
Notes
There are about 150-250 Cirsium species. They grow in temperate regions.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Dakiba-hime-azami
References (1)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
