Cirsium purpuratum

(Maxim.) Matsuma

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(c) Σ64, some rights reserved (CC BY)

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(c) 空猫 T. N, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Root

The root is edible cooked. It is rather slender and carrot-shaped, and likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. This starch passes straight through the digestive system and, in some people, ferments to produce flatulence.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, Japan,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A perennial thistle growing to 1 m tall. Flowers August to October with seeds ripening September to November. Hermaphroditic and self-fertile, pollinated by bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH. Requires full sun and prefers moist soil.

How to Grow

Propagation: Sow seed in early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2–8 weeks at 20°C. Can also be propagated by division in spring or autumn.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

The seed, as with all thistle species, yields a good oil by expression. No details of potential yields are given.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Cirsium purpuratum is a species of plume thistle native to Japan. The plant grows to around 1.5m in height and the flower heads are up to 10 cm in diameter.