Carduus nutans
| Carduus nutans | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Life Cycle: | Biennial |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Carduus nutans (common name: musk thistle)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in situ.
Cultivation: Succeeds in a sunny position in ordinary garden soil[1][2].
The flowers, and indeed the whole plant, give off a pleasing musk-like perfume[3]. The plant is very attractive to bees, hoverflies and butterflies[4][3], it is a food plant for the caterpillars of many lepidoptera species[5].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, north to Norway, south and east to N. Africa, Siberia and W. Asia
Habitat: Pastures, arable fields and waste places on calcareous soils[6].
Edibility: Pith of stem - boiled[7]. A pleasant taste[8], it is eaten like asparagus[9]. Said to be delicious[10].
The dried flowers are used as a curdling agent for plant milks etc[7][10].
Medicinal: The flowers are febrifuge and are used to purify the blood[11][12].
The seeds contain a fixed oil that is rich in linoleic acid[12]. This has proved of benefit in the prevention of atherosclerosis[12].
Usage: The down of the plant is used to make paper[13].
The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[13]. This species contains 41 - 44% oil[12].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Habit: Biennial
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.