SILYBUM MARIANUM

Family:- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Milk thistle

Synonyms:- Carduus lactifolius, Carduus marianus, Carduus

versicolor,superfl. Mariana lactea.

Meaning:- Silybum. A name used by the Greek physician and botanist

Dioscorides for a thistle-like plant.

Marianum (L) From Sierra Morena, Spain.

General description:- Robust, short to tall, weakly spiny (except for the the very

spiny flower-heads) biennial.

Stem:-

1) 20-150 cm, rarely shorter, glabrous or slightly arachnoid-pubescent, green.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, 25-50 x 12-25 cm, pinnatifid, glabrous or glabrescent, petiolate.

2) Cauline, smaller, less deeply divided, auriculate-amplexicaul, sessile, with

yellowish-white spines up to 8 mm.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula 2·5-4 cm, purple.

2) Peduncles long, erect, ebracteate or with few, small, leaf-like bracts;

3) Involucral bracts, outer and middle with appendages 8-15 x 6-10 mm, gradually

tapered into recurved, canaliculate spines 20-50 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes 6-8c 2·5-4 mm, shiny, black, with grey spots.

2) Pappus 15-20 mm.

Key features:-

1) Cauline leaves with spines up to 8 mm.

2) Outer involucral bracts with appendage tapering into a recurved spine.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Roadsides, field margins, coastal habitats and wasteground. 0-900 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece; common and gregarious on the mainland, more

scattered in the Aegean area, Mediterranean region and SW to C Asia. Fairly rare

on Crete with limited distribution.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton