Cirsium verutum

(D. Don) Spreng.

Common thistle

AsteraceaeLeavesRootsSeeds/NutsFlowers

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) T. Abe Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by T. Abe Lloyd

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) T. Abe Lloyd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Root, Flowers

Young shoots are edible cooked. The tender roots are chewed fresh. Seeds are also edible, though no further preparation details are given.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. Plants grow throughout Nepal between 700-3100 m altitude.

Asia, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Tibet, Vietnam,

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 herb. It is a thistle. It grows about 1 m high. The leaves near the base have stalks but the higher leaves do not and clasp the stem. The base leaves are deeply lobed with teeth and are strongly spiny. They have a cottony texture below. The flower heads are pinkish.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seed.

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

Medicinal Uses

A juice of the root is used to relieve fevers. A paste of the root is used in the treatment of stomach disorders. The fresh root is chewed to treat nosebleeds and throat aches, particularly during the dry summer.

Other Uses

The seeds yield a good oil by expression. No details on potential yields are given.

Wikipedia

Spear thistle is a perennial reaching 1.5 m tall, flowering from July to September with simultaneous seed ripening. It grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH ranges, requiring full sun and moist conditions.

Notes

There are about 150-250 Cirsium species. They grow in temperate regions.

Names & Synonyms

Brongzom, Dhode kanda, Popuche, Thakailo

Cnicus verutus D.DonCarduus argyracanthus WallichCirsium involucratum DCCnicus involucratus (DC.)Hook.f.Cirsium argyracanthum DCCnicus argyracanthus (DC.) C.B.Clarke

References (6)

Khakurel, D., et al, 2021, Foods from the wild: Local knowledge, use pattern and distribution in Western Nepal. PLOS ONE.
Manandhar, N.P., 2002, Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. p 154
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Sharma, L. et al, 2018, Diversity, distribution pattern, endemism and indigenous uses of wild edible plants in Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve of Indian Trans Himalaya. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 17(1) January 2018 pp 122-131
Syst. veg. 3:370. 1826
Tsering, J., et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical appraisal on wild edible plants used by the Monpa community of Arunchal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 16(4), October 2017, pp 626-637