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Common Name: Globe Thistle

General Information

Echinops setifer is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a single stem that can be unbranched or with short branches near the top; it can grow 100 - 200cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China (Henan, Shandong), Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Low mountains, C. and S. Japan[]. Mountain slopes in China[]. Open grassy areas in Korea[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in a sunny position in any well drained soil of low or medium fertility[, ]. Most species in this genus thrive in hot, dry soils[]. Tolerates partial shade[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[, ].

Medicinal

The root is anthelmintic, galactogogue, skin[]. It has a weak antitumour action[]. It is used in Korea as an emmenagogue and antidote[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame[]. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 9 weeks at 25°c[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in mid spring and is then planted out into its permanent position in late summer or the autumn[].
Division in autumn[].
Root cuttings in the winter[].