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Carduus nutans subsp. micropterus

(Borbas) Hayek

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(c) Veronika A. Johansson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Veronika A. Johansson

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(c) druzhinka, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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Carduus nutans is a biennial plant in the daisy and sunflower family Asteraceae with the common names musk thistle, nodding thistle, and nodding plumeless thistle. It is native to regions of Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa, where it is a scattered pasture plant. The musk thistle has been declared as invasive in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Description

A thistle of Mediterranean climate origin.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaf stalks are boiled in mixtures.

Traditional Uses

The leaf stalks are boiled in mixtures.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Herbal decoctions have historically included Carduus nutans. Turkish folk medicine has used parts of the flowering branches to treat prostate disease. It has also been documented that it has been used for treatment of liver disease, malaria, constipation, and kidney stones.

Distribution

It is a Mediterranean climate plant.

Where It Grows

Europe, Italy, Mediterranean,

References (1)

  • Biscotti, N. et al, 2018, The traditional food use of wild vegetables in Apulia (Italy) in the light of Italian ethnobotanical literature. Italian Botanist 5:1-24

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