Cirsium ochrocentrum
| Cirsium ochrocentrum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 5' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cirsium ochrocentrum (common name: yellow spined thistle)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c[1].
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. This spcies is a short-lived perennial, and is often biennial[2]. 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[3].
Range: South-western N. America - California to Texas and Nebraska.
Habitat: Dry slopes, 1500 - 3000 metres in California[4]. Sandy or rocky prairies and roadsides[2].
Edibility: Root - cooked[5][6][7][8][9]. 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].
Stem[5][6][7]. No further details are given, but it is probably best if peeled.
Medicinal: The entire plant is diaphoretic and diuretic[9]. It is infused overnight in cold water and the water is then drunk in the treatment of syphilis[10].
A liquid from the boiled blossoms has been used to treat burns and skin sores[8][9].
A decoction of the root has been taken by both partners as a contraceptive[9]. It has also been taken five times a day in the treatment of diabetes[9].
Usage: The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[11]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, lepidoptera, beetles, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.