Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

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

cardo blanco, cardo de María, cardo mariano, cardosanto, poma

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Biennial herb 0.3–2 m high; stems ribbed, sparsely villous, emerging from a rosette of leaves.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pale green, mottled along the veins; rosette leaves obovate in outline, deeply triangular-lobed, 10–50 cm long, 5–25 cm wide, base petiolate, withered at time of flowering; cauline leaves only slightly lobed, ovate-lanceolate in outline, 2–20 cm long, 0.7–8 cm wide, base auriculate and amplexicaul; margins of all leaves strongly spiny-dentate, sparsely pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula terminal and solitary; involucre 2.5–4 cm long; phyllaries with an appressed ovate base, widening abruptly to an ovate appendage which recurves in the outer phyllaries, 1–4.5 cm long, with acuminate pungent apex; inner phyllaries without appendage.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Corolla blue-violet, tube filiform, 22–25 mm long, lobes 7–9 mm long, erect.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes brown with black streaks, obovoid, 6–7 mm long, slightly compressed; pappus 15–22 mm long, connate into a basal ring and falling as a unit.

Figures

Fig. 13.

Habitat

Not indicated; presumably a farm weed; ± 2350 m

Distribution

adventive, a native of the Mediterranean and the Middle East K3

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

18.60% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2500–4000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca, Nariño, Santander.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

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

Morphology Stem

Stem (25–)40–150(–200) cm, juicy and rather weak, simple or with a few long branches, slightly arachnoid or glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile, rather thin in texture, oblong in outline, pinnatifid with broad, triangular-ovate, spinous lobes, basal leaves up to 50 × 25 cm but usually less, mostly withered at time of flowering; lower cauline leaves similar but leaves rapidly reducing upwards, all amplexicaul with spinous-auriculate bases and veined and mottled with white

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula moderate to large, 3.5–12 cm in diameter including spines of involucre, on a finally long peduncle which is naked or bears a few spiny bract-like leaves; outer and median phyllaries 8–15 mm with a broad subrotund to ovate base and a large pectinate-spinous appendage terminating in a long, strong and in outermost phyllaries ± reflexed spine; inner phyllaries lanceolate with a small appendage

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla exceeding inner phyllaries

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 6–7 × 3 mm, obscurely striate, mottled with black and brown, about half length of pappus.

Ecology

Mostly a weed of cultivation in fields, orchards and gardens and along irrigation channels, common on waste ground; also occurring in a Phoenix plantation, on loam in wadis and on disturbed ground in semi-desert; alt. 2–40 m, recorded, probably extends higher;

Phenology

flowering & fruiting: Mar.-Jun.(-Oct.).

Distribution

Quite common in the Lower Mesopotamian Region of Iraq, occasional in the Iranian foothills. Apparently native in the Mediterranean region, SW Europe and SW Asia east to Afghanistan and Pakistan; casual or naturalised in much of rest of Europe and elsewhere in the world, e.g. Australia, tropical Africa and S America. A variety with white corollas has been recognized in Palestine and Egypt.

Vernacular

GULAGHĀN, (Kurd.-Iraq); Milk Thistle (Eng.).

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

Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2500 - 4000 m.; Andes.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada