Centaurea solstitialis

St Barnaby's thistle, Yellow star-thistle

AsteraceaeLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The plant is used as a cooked vegetable, though the specific part consumed is not recorded.

Known Hazards

Grazing of the plant by horses can cause nigropallidal encephalomalacia or "chewing disease", a neurological condition. The disease generally follows consumption of 60–200% of the horse's body weight over an extended period of a month or more, or 2.3–2.6 kilograms (5.1–5.7 pounds) of star-thistle per 100 kg (220 lb) body weight per day. Though star-thistle is most dangerous when it is the only plant available or is delivered as a contaminant in dried hay, horses may develop a taste for it and seek it out. Many other grazing species, including mules and burros, are not affected.

Where to Find It

It is a Mediterranean plant. It grows in dry habitats and stony ground. It grows in warm temperate places. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.

Argentina, Australia, Britain, Central Asia, Chile, Europe*, France, Greece, Italy, Mediterranean, North America, Saudi Arabia, South America, Spain, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA,

Countries: Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, French Guiana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, St Kitts & Nevis, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Suriname, El Salvador, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela

How to Identify

An annual plant. It grows 1 m tall. It is stiff and erect and has a downy white covering. The leaves at the base are much divided. The lobe at the end is the largest. The leaves on the stem do not have stalks. They are narrow and entire. They continue as wings down the stem. The bracts around the flower have spines. Some spines are smaller than others.

How to Grow

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Prefers a well-drained fertile soil and a sunny position. Tolerates dry, low fertility and alkaline soils. A good bee and butterfly plant the flowers are rich in nectar. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation: Sow seed in April in a cold frame. Once large enough to handle, prick seedlings out into individual pots and plant into permanent positions during the summer. With sufficient seed, it can be sown directly in situ in spring; an autumn sowing in situ may also be worth trying.

Medicinal Uses

The powdered seed is used as a remedy for kidney or bladder stones. The powdered root is reputed to cure fistula and gravel.

Other Uses

None known. The plant attracts wildlife.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Centaurea solstitialis, the yellow star-thistle, is a species of thorny plant in the genus Centaurea, which is part of the family Asteraceae. A winter annual, it is native to the Mediterranean Basin region and invasive in many other places. It is also known as golden starthistle, yellow cockspur and St. Barnaby's thistle (or Barnaby thistle).

Notes

There are 400 to 600 Centaurea species. A disease of horses has been recorded in the USA from eating this plant.

Names & Synonyms

Cakirdikeni, Ciarrucciolo, Histiti cavbellok, Histrizerk, Pincar, Strizerk, Zimane civike

References (18)

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