Yellow Spined Thistle
Cirsium ochrocentrum
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Cirsium ochrocentrum is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies), beetles. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Dry slopes, 1500 - 3000 metres in California. Sandy or rocky prairies and roadsides.
South-western N. America - California to Texas and Nebraska.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
Native to the Great Plains of the Central United States and to the desert regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern Oregon east to the Black Hills of South Dakota, south as far as the Mexican State of Durango.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - cooked. The root 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. Stem. No further details are given, but it is probably best if peeled.
Oil: Oil
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The entire plant is diaphoretic and diuretic. It is infused overnight in cold water and the water is then drunk in the treatment of syphilis. A liquid from the boiled blossoms has been used to treat burns and skin sores. A decoction of the root has been taken by both partners as a contraceptive. It has also been taken five times a day in the treatment of diabetes.
Contraceptive: Prevents fertilization occurring in females.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease
Other
Rating: 2
The seed of all species of thistles yields a good oil by expression. No details of potential yields etc are given.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This spcies is a short-lived perennial, and is often biennial. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in a sunny position.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 8 weeks at 20°c. Division in spring or autumn.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
This plant can be weedy or invasive. It is a weed in California and Northwestern Mexico. Know as a noxious Weed in: Arkansas, California and Iowa, USA
Its other names
Local names
Yellowspine thistle