Carthamus lanatus
L.
Asteraceae
This species is listed as Phonus lanatus (L.) Hill in Plants of the World Online (https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:237689-1 Accessed 03/09/2023), but most other modern publications are still calling it Carthamus lanatus.
Anactis pilosa Raf.
Atractylis fusus-agrestis Gaertn.
Atractylis lanata Scop.
Atractylis leucocephala Moench
Atractylis lutea Bubani
Atractylis pilosa Moench
Calcitrapa lanuginosa Steud.
Carduncellus lanatus Moris
Carduus attractylis Garsault
Carthamus montanus (Pomel) Murb.
Carthamus tauricus M.Bieb.
Centaurea lanata (L.) Lam. & DC.
Heracantha lanata Hoffmanns. & Link
Heracantha taurica Link
Heteracantha lanata Link ex Steud.
Hohenwartha gymnogyna Vest
Kentrophyllum incanum Tausch
Kentrophyllum lanatum (L.) DC.
Kentrophyllum lanatum DC. & Duby
Kentrophyllum luteum Cass.
Kentrophyllum montanum Pomel
Kentrophyllum tauricum C.A.Mey.
Lamottea montana Pomel
Onobroma lanata (L.) Hornem.
Phonus lanatus (L.) Hill
Common Name: Distaff Thistle
General Information
Carthamnus lanatus is an annual to biennial plant producing a basal rosette of leaves, followed by a single, flowering stem with spiny leaves and branching near the top; it can grow up to 90cm tall[
1781- Title
- Invasive Species
- Publication
- Tasmanian Government, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart
- Author
-
- Website
- https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/invasive-species
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of information sheets on around 150 species of plants that are declared weeds in Tasmania
].
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
74- Title
- Flora of the USSR.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Komarov. V. L.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Israel Program for Scientific Translation
- Year
- 1968
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
Range
Central and southern Europe, western and central Asia, Macaronesia and northern Africa.
Habitat
Amongst rocks, in dry hills and uncultivated ground[
89- Title
- Flowers of the Mediterranean.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- Hogarth Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0-7012-0784-1
- Description
- A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
]. A weed of pastures, arable land and fields[
1145- Title
- AgroAtlas
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/index.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line database of economic plants of Russia and the surrounding countries that formed the USSR, giving botanical descriptions, distribution, habitats and uses. It also gives comprehensive information on climate, soil, pests, diseases etc
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual/Biennial |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Requires a position in full sun[
138- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bird. R. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
].
This species is a potentially serious pest plant in N. America[
274- Title
- Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
- Website
- http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
- Publisher
- Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
- Year
- 1999
- ISBN
- 1-889878-01-4
- Description
- An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
].
Edible Uses
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
The tender young stem is eaten raw as a vegetable[
2146- Title
- Wild food plants of popular use in Sicily
- Publication
- Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:15, pp 1-12
- Author
- Lentini F. & Venza F.
- Website
- http://10.1186/1746-4269-3-15
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The basal leaves are eaten raw in salads or stewed[
2173- Title
- Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants in Spain
- Publication
- Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 152, 27-71.
- Author
- Tardío J; Pardo-de-Santayana M. & Morales R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2006
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
Medicinal
The plant is anthelmintic, diaphoretic and febrifuge[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
An oil is obtained from the seed[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
], though the report gives no more details[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
The plant is utilized in breeding practice to improve varieties of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)[
1145- Title
- AgroAtlas
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/index.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line database of economic plants of Russia and the surrounding countries that formed the USSR, giving botanical descriptions, distribution, habitats and uses. It also gives comprehensive information on climate, soil, pests, diseases etc
].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in gentle heat in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 4 weeks at 15°c[
138- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bird. R. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer.
The seed can also be sown in situ in autumn to mid spring[
138- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 3.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bird. R. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
,
1781- Title
- Invasive Species
- Publication
- Tasmanian Government, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Hobart
- Author
-
- Website
- https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/invasive-species
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A series of information sheets on around 150 species of plants that are declared weeds in Tasmania
].
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
