Common Name:

General Information

Cirsium purpuratum is a robust, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a rather slender, carrot-shaped taproot; it produces a basal cluster of leaves and a branched flowering stem around 50 - 100cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - central Japan (Honshu).

Habitat

Gravelly and sandy slopes in mountains, C. Japan[]. On scree and sunny rocky or sandy slopes; at elevations from 600 - 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[]. The root is rather slender 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.