Sonchus oleraceus is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae of the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. It has many common names including common sowthistle,[2]sow thistle,[3]smooth sow thistle, annual sow thistle, hare's colwort, hare's thistle, milky tassel, milk thistle.[4] and soft thistle.[4]
Its specific epithetoleraceus means "vegetable/herbal".[5][6][a] The common name 'sow thistle' refers to its attractiveness to pigs, and the similarity of the leaf to younger thistle plants. The common name 'hare's thistle' refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits.[7]
This annual plant has a hollow, upright stem up to 30 to 100 centimetres (12 to 39 in) high.[8] It prefers full sun, and can tolerate most soil conditions. The flowers are hermaphroditic, and common pollinators include bees and flies.[9] It spreads by seeds being carried by wind or water.
This plant is considered an invasive species in many parts of the world, where it is found mostly in disturbed areas.[10][11] In Australia it is a common and widespread invasive species, with large infestations a serious problem in crops.[12]
Green salad with carrot, cucumber, onion, sowthistle leaves, and tomato slices
Leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach. This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as kŭcài (苦菜; lit. bitter vegetable).[citation needed] The younger leaves are less bitter and better to eat raw. Steaming can remove the bitterness of older leaves.[13] The younger roots are also edible and can suffice as a coffee substitute.[14]
Nutritive qualitiesedit
Nutritional analysis reveals 30 – 40 mg of vitamin C per 100g of plant, 1.2% protein, 0.3% fat, 2.4% carbohydrate. Leaf dry matter analysis per 100 g (likely to vary with growing conditions) shows: 45 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 22 g ash, 5.9 g fibre, 4.5 g fat; in all, providing 265 calories.
Native Americans had many uses for this plant. Pima used its gum as a "cure for the opium habit," as a cathartic, and as a food, where the "{l}eaves and stems {were} rubbed between the palms of the hands and eaten raw" and sometimes "boiled." The Yaqui used the plant as a vegetable, where the "{t}ender, young leaves boiled in salted water with chile and eaten as greens." The Kamia (Kumeyaay) "boiled {the} leaves {and} used {it} for food as greens." The {Houma} used it as an abortifacient where an "{i}nfusion of {the} plant {was} taken to 'make tardy menstruation come;'" an antidiarrheal; for children that were teething; and as hog feed.[16]
The Samaritans eat the leafs of this bitter plant on the feast of passover. The bitter leafs are eaten together with Paschal lamb and unleavened bread, as dictated by the Bible (Exodus 12, 8): “ They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Thus, the Samaritans identify Sonchus oleraceus with the bitter herbs.
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sonchus oleraceus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
^ abInternational Environmental Weed Foundation, retrieved 24 December 2015
^Parker, Peter (2018). A Little Book of Latin for Gardeners. Little Brown Book Group. p. 328. ISBN978-1-4087-0615-2. oleraceus, holeraceus = relating to vegetables or kitchen garden
^Whitney, William Dwight (1899). The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. Century Co. p. 2856. L. holeraceus, prop. oleraceus, herb-like, holus, prop. olus (oler-), herbs, vegetables
^ ab"A Modern Herbal | Sow-Thistles". Botanical.com. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
^Tanaka, Yoshitaka; Van Ke, Nguyen (2007). Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam: The Bountiful Garden. Thailand: Orchid Press. p. 52. ISBN978-9745240896.
^"Sonchus oleraceus Sow Thistle, Common sowthistle PFAF Plant Database".
^Sonchus oleraceus 2007-04-28 at the Wayback Machine at Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants 2007-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
^Sonchus oleraceus L., Asteraceae, Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
^"Common sowthistle Sonchus oleraceus". Weeds Australia. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
^Nyerges, Christopher (2016). Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature's Edibles. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 169. ISBN978-1-4930-1499-6.
^Nyerges, Christopher (2017). Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides. ISBN978-1-4930-2534-3. OCLC 965922681.
^Cambie, Richard C; Ferguson, Lynnette R (2003). "Potential functional foods in the traditional Maori diet". Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. 523–524: 109–117. doi:10.1016/S0027-5107(02)00344-5. ISSN 0027-5107. PMID 12628508.
Media related to Sonchus oleraceus at Wikimedia Commons
Tropicos.org: photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden
Tropicos.org: line drawing from Flora of Panama
Nature Manitoba: Annual Sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) — photos, drawings, & text from Wild Plants of Winnipeg.
January 01, 1970
sonchus, oleraceus, species, flowering, plant, tribe, cichorieae, family, asteraceae, native, europe, western, asia, many, common, names, including, common, sowthistle, thistle, smooth, thistle, annual, thistle, hare, colwort, hare, thistle, milky, tassel, mil. Sonchus oleraceus is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae of the family Asteraceae native to Europe and Western Asia It has many common names including common sowthistle 2 sow thistle 3 smooth sow thistle annual sow thistle hare s colwort hare s thistle milky tassel milk thistle 4 and soft thistle 4 Common sowthistle Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Asterids Order Asterales Family Asteraceae Genus Sonchus Species S oleraceus Binomial name Sonchus oleraceusL 1753 not Wall 1831 Synonyms 1 Synonymy Carduus amplexicaulis NoronhaSonchus angustissimus Hook f Sonchus australis Trevir Sonchus ciliatus Lam Sonchus fabrae SennenSonchus glaber Gilib Sonchus gracilis Phil Sonchus gracilis SennenSonchus lacerus Willd Sonchus laevis Vill Sonchus longifolius Trevir Sonchus macrotus FenzlSonchus pallescens PancicSonchus parviflorus Lej ex Rchb Sonchus reversus E Mey ex DC Sonchus rivularis Phil Sonchus roseus Besser ex Spreng Sonchus royleanus DC Sonchus runcinatus Fiori ZenariSonchus schimperi A Braun amp BoucheSonchus schmidianus K KochSonchus spinulifoius SennenSonchus subbipinnatifidus Guss ZenariSonchus sundaicus BlumeSonchus tenerrimus Schur 1866 not L 1753Sonchus umbellifer Thunb Sonchus zacinthoides DC Its specific epithet oleraceus means vegetable herbal 5 6 a The common name sow thistle refers to its attractiveness to pigs and the similarity of the leaf to younger thistle plants The common name hare s thistle refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits 7 Contents 1 Botanical characteristics 2 Cuisine 2 1 Nutritive qualities 3 Herbalism 4 References 5 External linksBotanical characteristics editThis annual plant has a hollow upright stem up to 30 to 100 centimetres 12 to 39 in high 8 It prefers full sun and can tolerate most soil conditions The flowers are hermaphroditic and common pollinators include bees and flies 9 It spreads by seeds being carried by wind or water This plant is considered an invasive species in many parts of the world where it is found mostly in disturbed areas 10 11 In Australia it is a common and widespread invasive species with large infestations a serious problem in crops 12 nbsp Runcinate leaf nbsp Cuisine edit nbsp Green salad with carrot cucumber onion sowthistle leaves and tomato slices Leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as kŭcai 苦菜 lit bitter vegetable citation needed The younger leaves are less bitter and better to eat raw Steaming can remove the bitterness of older leaves 13 The younger roots are also edible and can suffice as a coffee substitute 14 Nutritive qualities edit Nutritional analysis reveals 30 40 mg of vitamin C per 100g of plant 1 2 protein 0 3 fat 2 4 carbohydrate Leaf dry matter analysis per 100 g likely to vary with growing conditions shows 45 g carbohydrate 28 g protein 22 g ash 5 9 g fibre 4 5 g fat in all providing 265 calories Minerals Calcium 1500 mg Phosphorus 500 mg Iron 45 6 mg Magnesium 0 mg Sodium 0 mg Potassium 0 mg Zinc 0 mg Vitamins A 35 mg Thiamine B1 1 5 mg Riboflavin B2 5 mg Niacin 5 mg B6 0 mg C 60 mgHerbalism editSonchus oleraceus has a variety of uses in herbalism It also has been ascribed medicinal qualities similar to dandelion and succory 7 The early Maori people of New Zealand are likely to have gathered it for food and medical use 15 Native Americans had many uses for this plant Pima used its gum as a cure for the opium habit as a cathartic and as a food where the l eaves and stems were rubbed between the palms of the hands and eaten raw and sometimes boiled The Yaqui used the plant as a vegetable where the t ender young leaves boiled in salted water with chile and eaten as greens The Kamia Kumeyaay boiled the leaves and used it for food as greens The Houma used it as an abortifacient where an i nfusion of the plant was taken to make tardy menstruation come an antidiarrheal for children that were teething and as hog feed 16 The Samaritans eat the leafs of this bitter plant on the feast of passover The bitter leafs are eaten together with Paschal lamb and unleavened bread as dictated by the Bible Exodus 12 8 They shall eat the flesh that night roasted on the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it Thus the Samaritans identify Sonchus oleraceus with the bitter herbs References editFootnotes For the generic name s etymology see Sonchus Citations The Plant List Sonchus oleraceus L L USDA NRCS n d Sonchus oleraceus The PLANTS Database plants usda gov Greensboro North Carolina National Plant Data Team Retrieved 19 November 2015 Sonchus oleraceus at Plants For A Future a b International Environmental Weed Foundation retrieved 24 December 2015 Parker Peter 2018 A Little Book of Latin for Gardeners Little Brown Book Group p 328 ISBN 978 1 4087 0615 2 oleraceus holeraceus relating to vegetables or kitchen garden Whitney William Dwight 1899 The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia Century Co p 2856 L holeraceus prop oleraceus herb like holus prop olus oler herbs vegetables a b A Modern Herbal Sow Thistles Botanical com Retrieved 2014 07 12 Tanaka Yoshitaka Van Ke Nguyen 2007 Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam The Bountiful Garden Thailand Orchid Press p 52 ISBN 978 9745240896 Sonchus oleraceus Sow Thistle Common sowthistle PFAF Plant Database Sonchus oleraceus Archived 2007 04 28 at the Wayback Machine at Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Archived 2007 03 25 at the Wayback Machine Sonchus oleraceus L Asteraceae Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk PIER Common sowthistle Sonchus oleraceus Weeds Australia Retrieved 25 September 2014 Nyerges Christopher 2016 Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature s Edibles Rowman amp Littlefield p 169 ISBN 978 1 4930 1499 6 Nyerges Christopher 2017 Foraging Washington Finding Identifying and Preparing Edible Wild Foods Guilford CT Falcon Guides ISBN 978 1 4930 2534 3 OCLC 965922681 Cambie Richard C Ferguson Lynnette R 2003 Potential functional foods in the traditional Maori diet Mutation Research Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis 523 524 109 117 doi 10 1016 S0027 5107 02 00344 5 ISSN 0027 5107 PMID 12628508 BRIT Native American Ethnobotany Database External links edit nbsp Media related to Sonchus oleraceus at Wikimedia Commons Tropicos org photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden Tropicos org line drawing from Flora of Panama Nature Manitoba Annual Sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus photos drawings amp text from Wild Plants of Winnipeg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sonchus oleraceus amp oldid 1219304462, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
