Practical
Plants

Cousinia thomsonii

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.45 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves and spines - eaten when young and tender[1].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas from Afghanistan to western Nepal and Tibet.
Habitat
Stony ground, especially in Ladakh and Lahul, at elevations of 3000 - 4200 metres[3]. Grassland and gravely places in flooded lands at elevations of 3700 - 4300 metres in Tibet[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light 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 - we have no specific information for this species. It is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe, though it can also probably be sown in the spring. In general, the seed of plants from this family is best sown in pots very near the surface of the soil. Make sure the soil does not dry out, but do not overwater. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in pots for their first year before planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring.

Cultivation

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

None known

References

  1. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

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  2. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

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  3. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

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