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Common Name: Stemless Carline Thistle

General Information

Carlina acaulis is a Biennial/Perennial up to 0.15 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe.

Habitat

Poor soils in dry sandy pastures and on rocky slopes[, , ], especially on limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Biennial/Perennial
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in a sunny position in ordinary garden soil[]. Prefers a neutral to alkaline soil[, ]. Prefers a poor soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[].
The stemless carline thistle is a protected plant in the wild because of its rarity[].
This species resents root disturbance, it should be planted into its final position as soon as possible[]. Plants are usually short-lived or monocarpic[].
The plant is popular in dried flower arranging, the dried heads keeping their appearance indefinitely[].

Edible Uses

Flowering head - cooked. Used as a globe artichoke substitute[, ], though they are considerably smaller and even more fiddly[].
The fleshy centre of the plant is edible[, ]. Does this refer to the peeled stem?[].
Root[]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

Stemless carline thistle is seldom used in modern herbalism. The plant was at one time in great demand as an aphrodisiac[], it is occasionally used nowadays in the treatment of spasms of the digestive tract, gall bladder and liver disorders, dropsy, urine retention etc[, ]. The root has also been used in treating a range of skin complaints such as acne and eczema[]. A decoction of the root can be used externally to cleanse wounds or as an antiseptic gargle[]. Some caution should be employed since in large doses the root is purgative and emetic[].
The root is antibiotic, antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, mildly diuretic, emetic in large doses, febrifuge and purgative in large doses[, , , ]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].

Other Uses

The dried flowers respond to the amount of humidity in the air and can be used as hygrometers[]. Flowers on the growing plant close at the approach of rain[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring. The seed usually germinates in 4 - 8 weeks at 15°c[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.