Cirsium dipsacolepis
(Maxim.) Matsum.
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Qwert1234
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Qwert1234
Summary
A perennial thistle growing to 1 meter, flowering September to November with seeds ripening October to November. Hermaphrodite, self-fertile flowers are pollinated by bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles. Requires full sun and moist soil; adapts to sandy, loamy, or clay soils with mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH.
Description
A perennial thistle growing to 1 meter, flowering September to November with seeds ripening October to November. Hermaphrodite, self-fertile flowers are pollinated by bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles. Requires full sun and moist soil; adapts to sandy, loamy, or clay soils with mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH.
Edible Uses
The root is edible cooked. It is thickened and carrot-shaped, and is likely rich in inulin, a starch that humans cannot digest. This starch passes straight through the digestive system and may ferment in some people, producing flatulence. Seed oil can also be extracted by expression.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
Asia, China, Japan,
Propagation
Sow seed in early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually occurs within 2–8 weeks at 20°C. Can also be propagated by division in spring or autumn.
Other Uses
The seeds of all thistle species yield a useful oil by expression, though no details on potential yields are given.
Other Information
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.
Notes
There are about 150-250 Cirsium species. They grow in temperate regions.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 80.9 | 263 | 63 | 3 | — | — | 8.5 | — |
References (3)
- Food Composition Tables for use in East Asia FAO http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory No. 765
- Kays, S. J., and Dias, J. C. S., 1995, Common Names of Commercially Cultivated Vegetables of the World in 15 languages. Economic Botany, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 115-152
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
