Common Name:

General Information

Cirsium dipsacolepis is a prickly, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a thickened, carrot-shaped rootstock; it produces a basal rosette of leaves and an erect, sometimes ranched stem that can be 50 - 100cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is cultivated for its edible root in Japan[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - central Japan.

Habitat

In sunny, xeric herbal stands of the temperate zones[ at elevations from 200 - 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cirsium species are generally easily grown plants, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[, ]. The root is thickened and carrot-shaped[]. 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[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

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

Propagation

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