Silybum marianum

Silybum marianum is a species of thistle. It has various common names including milk thistle, blessed milkthistle, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, Saint Mary's thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle (not to be confused with Onopordum acanthium or Cirsium vulgare). This species is an annual or biennial plant of the family Asteraceae. This fairly typical thistle has red to purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. Once native from Southern Europe through Asia, it has spread throughout the world.

Description

An annual herb. It is stout and erect. It grows 1-3 m tall. The leaves are shiny and green. They have a white mottle or marks on the upper surface. The lower leaves grow out from the main stem in a ring. The upper leaves clasp the stem. They are 10-50 cm long by 5-25 cm wide. They have rounded wings. The flower heads are reddish-purple. They are at the top of the plant. They have broad ridged bracts around them. These end in spines. The seedling leaves are free of spines.

Edible Uses

The root can be eaten raw or cooked — it has a mild flavour and somewhat mucilaginous texture, and when boiled resembles salsify (Tragopogon hispanicus). Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, but the sharp spines must be removed first, which is a fiddly task. Young leaves are quite thick with a mild flavour and work well in mixed salads, though they can turn bitter in hot, dry weather. Cooked, they make an acceptable spinach substitute. Successional sowings can provide leaves year round. Flower buds are cooked as a globe artichoke substitute, used before the flowers open — the flavour is mild but the buds are small and even more fiddly to prepare than globe artichokes. Stems can be eaten raw or cooked; they are best peeled and can be soaked to reduce bitterness. Palatable and nutritious, they can be prepared like asparagus or rhubarb, or added to salads, and are best used young in spring. A good-quality oil is obtained from the seeds, and the roasted seed can be used as a coffee substitute.

Traditional Uses

The prickles must be removed then the leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. They are used in stews. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat. Young stems are peeled, boiled and eaten. The bases of the flower heads can be eaten. The roots can be cooked and eaten. They are used as famine food after boiling in water. The seeds contain an edible fatty oil. They can also be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. CAUTION: In fertile soils plants can contain high nitrate levels which are poisonous.

Medicinal Uses

Milk Thistle has a long history of use in Western herbalism for depression and liver complaints. Recent research confirms a remarkable ability to protect the liver from damage caused by alcohol and other poisons. The whole plant is astringent, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, hepatic, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. It is used internally for liver and gall bladder disease, jaundice, cirrhosis, hepatitis and poisoning. The plant is harvested in flower and dried for later use. Silymarin, an extract from the seed, acts on liver cell membranes to prevent the entry of viral toxins and other harmful compounds, and dramatically improves liver regeneration in hepatitis, cirrhosis, mushroom poisoning and other liver diseases. German research indicates that silybin, a flavonoid component of the seed, is clinically useful in treating severe poisoning by Amanita mushrooms, and seed extracts are produced commercially in Europe. Liver regeneration is considered particularly important in cancer treatment, as the disease is consistently associated with a severely compromised liver. A homeopathic remedy is prepared from equal parts of the root and seed with hulls attached, used for liver and abdominal disorders. The German Commission E Monographs approve Silybum marianum for dyspeptic complaints and liver and gallbladder conditions.

Known Hazards

Milk thistle based supplements have been measured to have the highest mycotoxin concentrations of up to 37 mg/kg when compared to various plant-based dietary supplements. Use of milk thistle may cause stomach upset and produce allergic reactions in some people. Eyelid edema, ocular pruritus, dry eye, diplopia, and blurred vision are among the reported complications based on registered side effects in the WHO global database of adverse drug reactions. Because of nitrate content, the plant has been found to be toxic to cattle and sheep. When potassium nitrate is eaten by ruminants, the bacteria in the animal's stomach breaks the chemical down, producing nitrite ions. Nitrite ions then combine with hemoglobin to produce methemoglobin, blocking the transport of oxygen. The result is a form of oxygen deprivation.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It usually grows on volcanic or alluvial soils rich in nitrogen. It grows in damp areas. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows between sea level to 1,500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Croatia, Egypt, Europe, France, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Mediterranean*, Middle East, Morocco, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seed.

Propagation

Sown in situ during March or April, the plant typically flowers in its first summer and completes its life cycle as an annual. Seed sown between May and August will generally overwinter and flower the following year, behaving as a biennial. The best edible roots are produced from a May or June sowing. Sowing in both spring and summer should ensure a continuous supply of edible leaves throughout the year.

Other Uses

Milk Thistle makes a good green manure plant, producing substantial bulk for incorporation into the soil. An oil is also obtained from the seeds.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are 2 Silybum species.

Nutrition

References (77)

• Aceituno-Mata, L., et al, 2021, The Persistence of Flavor: Past and Present Use of Wild Food Plants in Sierra Norte de Madrid, Spain. Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 11 January 2021
• Ahmad, S. A. & Askari, A. A., 2015, Ethnobotany of the Hawraman Region of Kurdistan Iraq. Harvard Papers in Botany, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2015, pp. 85–89.
• Ali-Shtayeh, M. S., et al, 2008, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative study. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 4: 13
• Al-Qura'n, S. A., 2010, Ethnobotanical and Ecological Studies of Wild Edible Plants in Jordan. Libyan Agriculture Research Center Journal International 1(4):231-243
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 575

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