Cirsium chinense
| Cirsium chinense | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cirsium chinense
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c.
Division in spring or autumn.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[1].
Range: E. Asia - China.
Habitat: Grassland on mountain slopesat elevations of 100 - 1600 metres[2].
Edibility: Root - cooked[3][4]. The root is likely to be rich in inulin, a starch that cannot be digested by humans. This starch thus passes straight through the digestive system and, in some people, ferments to produce flatulence[K].
Usage: The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[5]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, lepidoptera, beetles, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.