Practical
Plants

Cirsium purpuratum

a perennial member of the Cirsium genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cirsium
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - cooked[1]. The root is rather slender and carrot shaped[4]. It 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].

Plant part
Root

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression[5]. No details of potential yields etc are given[K].

Product or use
Oil

Environment

Range
E. Asia - central Japan.
Habitat
Gravelly and sandy slopes in mountains, C. Japan[6]. On scree and sunny rocky or sandy slopes at elevations of 600 - 1600 metres[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c[2]. Division in spring or autumn.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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 distributional range of this species is now increasing in the wild, and several cases of natural hybridization between this and other taxa are found within the range[4]. 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].

References

  1. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  4. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

  6. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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