Cirsium oligophyllum
| Cirsium oligophyllum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cirsium oligophyllum
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. 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[2].
Range: E. Asia - central Japan.
Habitat: In sunny grasslands and along temperate forest margins at elevations of 20 - 1200 metres[3].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[4]. Added to soups or fried[5].
Root - cooked[4]. The roots are slender with scarcely developed rhizomes[3]. They are scraped into pieces, steeped in water and preserved in miso[5]. 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].
The flower heads are fried or used in salads[5].
Usage: The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[6]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Flora of Japan.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.