Cirsium undulatum
| Cirsium undulatum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cirsium undulatum (common name: wavy-leaved thistle)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c[1].
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: Western N. America - British Columbia to Texas.
Habitat: Dry open soils[3]. Prairies, pastures and roadsides in Texas[4].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[5][6][7][8][9]. One of the more palatable thistles, it is used as a vegetable or can be added to soups and stews[10][9]. It can be dried and stored for winter use[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].
Stems - peeled and eaten raw or cooked[8][10][9]. One of the more palatable thistles[10].
Medicinal: A decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[9]. A cold infusion of the root has been used as a wash for eye diseases[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.
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.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.