- Cnicus
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"Blessed thistle" redirects here. For "blessed milk thistle", see Silybum marianum.
Cnicus benedictus 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Tribe: Cynareae Genus: Cnicus Species: C. benedictus Binomial name Cnicus benedictus
L.Synonyms Centaurea benedicta
Cnicus benedictus (St. Benedict's thistle, blessed thistle, holy thistle or spotted thistle), was the sole species in the genus Cnicus, but has been reclassified as Centaurea benedicta. (Note, this is not the same as milk thistle.)
It is a thistle-like plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, from Portugal north to southern France and east to Iran. It is known in other parts of the world, including parts of North America, as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.
Contents
Growth
It is an annual plant growing to 60 cm tall, with leathery, hairy leaves up to 30 cm long and 8 cm broad, with small spines on the margins. The flowers are yellow, produced in a dense flowerhead (capitulum) 3-4 cm diameter, surrounded by numerous spiny basal bracts.
The related genus Notobasis is included in Cnicus by some botanists; it differs in slender, much spinier leaves, and purple flowers.
Medicinal uses
It has sometimes been used as a galactogogue to promote lactation. The crude extracts contain about 0.2% cnicin. It is recommended for use by public health nurses in Ontario, Canada, as well as by the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation[1] along with fenugreek to increase lactation in nursing mothers. It is also a component in some bitters formulas.
Edibility
These thistles are not considered edible, unlike Cirsium, Arctium and Onopordum species; the leaves are considered unpalatable if not bitter.
19th century illustration
References
- ^ Newman, Jack. "Herbs for Increasing Milk Supply". Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation. http://canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org/induced/herbs.shtml. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
External links
- Cnicus Benedictus.—Blessed Thistle
- Spotted thistle entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
This article incorporates public domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".
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