Cirsium oleraceum explained

Cirsium oleraceum, the cabbage thistle or Siberian thistle, is a species of thistle in the genus Cirsium within the family Asteraceae, native to central and eastern Europe and Asia, where it grows in wet lowland soils.^[1]

Cirsium oleraceum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.5 m tall, the stems unbranched or with only a very few branches. The leaves are broad and ovoid, with a weakly spiny margin, being pinnatipartite. The flowers are produced in dense flower heads which are 2.5–4 cm diameter, pale yellow, but sometimes tinged pink.^[2]

Its specific epithet oleraceum means "vegetable/herbal" in Latin and is a form of (Latin: oleraceus).^{[3] [4]}

Usage

For cooking: In salads the young stems and leaves are edible, and cultivated for food in Japan and India.

Notes and References

1. http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=cirsium+oleraceum Altervista Flora Italiana, Cardo giallastro, Siberian thistle, Cirsium oleraceum (L.) Scop.
2. http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/Mansfeld/Taxonomy/datenvoll.afp?module=mf&source=botnam&taxid=31776&akzanz=0 Mansfield crop database: Cirsium oleraceum
3. Book: Parker, Peter. A Little Book of Latin for Gardeners. 2018. Little Brown Book Group. 978-1-4087-0615-2. 328. Latin: oleraceus, holeraceus = relating to vegetables or kitchen garden.
4. Book: Whitney, William Dwight. The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. 1899. Century Co.. 2856. Latin: holeraceus, Latin: oleraceus, herb-like, Latin: holus, Latin: olus (Latin: oler-), herbs, vegetables.