Carduus acanthoides

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a thistle. It grows 20-100 cm tall. It can take 2 years to complete its life-cycle or keep growing from year to year. It has a single stem with long branches. The leaves are 6-29 cm long by 2-7 cm wide. They have lobes along the stalk with 6-12 pairs of segments. The flower head is at the top of the stem and 2 cm across.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows on mountains slopes and in valleys and grassland between 200-3,500 m above sea level in China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Asia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Europe, North America, Russia, Slovenia, South America, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten raw in salads.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bodlak obecny, Navadni bodak

Synonyms

Carduus camporum Boiss. and others