Cirsium arvense

Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and western Asia, northern Africa and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. It is also commonly misnomered as Canada thistle and sometimes as field thistle.

Description

A herb. It is a thistle which keeps growing from year to year. It grows up to 1 m high. It has creeping underground stolons. The flowering stems are branched and erect. They are furrowed and can be smooth or cottony. The leaves near the base are oblong to sword shaped. They have lobes along the sides. They are narrowed towards the base. The leaves are white and woolly underneath and have spines around the edge. The flowers occur singly or as 2-4 together and are purple. They are at the ends of the upper branches.

Edible Uses

The roots of first-year plants can be eaten raw or cooked. Nutritious but rather bland, they are best used mixed with other vegetables. The root 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. The stems can be peeled and cooked like asparagus or rhubarb. Leaves may be eaten raw or cooked but have a fairly bland flavour and require removal of the prickles beforehand — a fiddly process that leaves very little edible leaf. The leaves are also used to coagulate plant milks. Among the edible parts, young shoots and peeled stems are the most practical: peeled stems are mild and slightly sweet, comparable to celery though often more fibrous. Roots of this perennial species tend to be thinner, more fibrous, and less starchy than those of biennial thistles, and may be woody or hollow. Leaves are bitter, spiny, and do not improve greatly with cooking. Shoots harvested very early in spring are the best-tasting part of the plant. Young shoots and stems are best harvested in early spring; roots are best in late autumn or early spring when carbohydrate reserves are highest. To prepare, harvest young shoots in early spring, peel thoroughly to remove spines and outer fibres, and cook or eat fresh. Roots should be cleaned carefully, sliced thinly, and boiled to improve texture and flavour. The plant was reportedly eaten by some Indigenous groups, though documentation is sparse compared to native biennial thistles, and its use appears opportunistic rather than staple-based.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are used in vegetable soups and stews. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat. The young shoots and flower stalks are boiled and eaten as a vegetable. It has been used to curdle milk. The white fleshy part of the stems is eaten raw after peeling. The roots are eaten raw or cooked. They are also dried as a coffee substitute.

Medicinal Uses

The root is tonic, diuretic, astringent, antiphlogistic, and hepatic. It has been chewed as a remedy for toothache. A decoction of the roots has been used to treat worms in children. A paste of the roots, combined with an equal quantity of root paste of Amaranthus spinosus, is used in the treatment of indigestion. The plant contains a volatile alkaloid and a glycoside called cnicin, which has emetic and emmenagogue properties. The leaves are antiphlogistic and have irritating properties.

Distribution

It grows in temperate and Mediterranean regions. In China it grows between 100-4,300 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium. In Sichuan.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Andorra, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Croatia, Estonia, Europe*, Falklands, Georgia, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Nepal, North America, Pakistan, Russia, South America, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Propagation

Seed — sow in early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2–8 weeks at 20°C.

Other Uses

The seed fluff is used as a tinder. The seed of all thistle species yields a good oil by expression; the seed of this species contains about 22% oil.

Notes

There are about 150-250 Cirsium species. They grow in temperate regions.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Calcida, Californian thistle, Canadian thistle, Cardo cundidor, Choussio, Ciji, Da khawarak azghai, Gaida kande, Harul, Horal, Hemirkesen, tikani, Honghuamiao, K'akhoura, Kandiara, Kelendor, Kerbes, Koygocerten, Koygocuren, Kund, Leeh, Leh, Lehi, Leu, Liah, Nara, Ohakas, Ohtja, Perticone, Shchipitsa, Stioppone, Stramontano, Tetri nari, Tovis, Tuvis, Wanvahri

References (51)

• Ahmad, K. & Pieroni, A., 2016, Folk knowledge of wild food plants among the tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, North-West Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12:17
• Ajain, M., Ali, T., & Siddiqui, M.F., 2015, A Survey of Ethnobotanically Important Herbaceous Plants of Tehsil Jatoi,District Muzaffar Garh, Punjab, Pakistan. Int. J. Biol. Res., 3(2): 87-92, 2015.
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 126
• Amin, M. et al, 2023, Edible wild plant species used by different linguistic groups of Kohistan Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 19:6 p 8
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 83 (As Carduus arvensis)

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