Asteraceae
Cynara

Cynara cardunculus L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 827 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Medit. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2200–2200 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander, Risaralda, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Plant mostly 0.9–1.5 m tall, sometimes more
Morphology Leaves
Lower leaves large, broadly oblong in outline, up to 75 × 35 cm, green on upper surface and greyish-arachnoid below, pinnatisect with ovate or lanceolate, mostly coarsely toothed but sometimes entire segments, teeth rather blunt and mucronate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula depressed-globose, 6–7 × 7–10 mm; phyllaries imbricate at base (which in lower phyllaries is fleshy), appressed or lower ± spreading, with a deltoid-ovate to lanceolate, slightly concave, coriaceous apical appendage which is truncate to cuspidate at apex; innermost phyllaries with a narrower membranous appendage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corollas violet-blue or blue, exceeding inner phyllaries
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achene obovate, 3.7–7 mm, grey brown to straw coloured, usually with dark brown and sometimes also whitish dots, faintly 2–4 ribbed (mature achenes not seen – description from Wiklund, 1992, p116.)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Pappus
Pappus 2–3 mm, dirty white to brownish.
Vernacular
Artichoke (Eng.), KHARSHŪF, ANGÎNĀR (Turk.).
Note
Poorly known in the wild state, but widely cultivated particularly in the Mediterranean region; the cultivated derivative has usually been treated as the separate species C. scolymus - Cardoon and Globe Artichoke.
[FIQ]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

21.40% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

[SID]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
alcachofa, cardo
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 2200 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit
It is a perennial herb to 2 m high with leaves to 80 cm long and 40 cm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Large capitula (6–8 cm) with purple florets
Distribution
originating from the Mediterranean area. It has been reported from K4 (Muguga) andT3 (Lushoto).
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use
Occasionally cultivated as a vegetable in Iraq. The young flower-capitula are cooked and eaten for the fleshy bracts and receptacle. They may be baked, fried, boiled, stuffed or served with various sauces, and when very young are sometimes eaten raw.
[FIQ]

Use
The fleshy phyllaries are eaten.
[FTEA]

Common Names

English
Cardoon, Globe Artichoke

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0