Mediterranean Thistle Types

Features

• All Mediterranean thistle types have several things in common. They are all similar in characteristics and appearance. These thistles have spiny prickly leaves that grow in a narrow long shape. Each type of thistle also blooms with various colored flower heads specific to each type.

Types

• Common names of milk thistle are St. Mary's and holy thistle. This thistle has a large white bloom similar to a cactus. Golden thistle has a deep golden yellow bloom in the spring and it is known also as oyster thistle and Spanish oyster thistle. It is prevalent in parts of southwestern Europe though it also grows wild in the United States. Scotch thistle also has common names of heraldic thistle and cotton thistle. This type of Mediterranean thistle has a wide range of identifying flowers. They have anywhere from a dark pink to a dark violet flower head with a spherical round shape. This type also has small pointy yellow spines at the base of the flower head. Italian thistle is a very common poisonous weed that grows wild from the Mediterranean to the North coast, Nevada and California and in most states. The flower heads range from a light pink to a dark purple and appear much as a Scotch thistle in shape. When the flower head falls off, a small fruit that is a golden to brown color replaces it.

Significance

• Milk thistle has many herbal healing properties. The main ingredient in this type of thistle is silymarin and its uses include protecting the liver from damage. Europeans plant golden thistle and harvest it to use the flowers as a saffron substitute. The other two types of Mediterranean thistle of Italian and Scotch thistle are a noxious weed.

Function

• Milk thistle can cleanse the liver of toxins as alcohol, acetaminophen, drugs, anesthesia, viruses and ingested metals. Milk thistle is popular to cure liver damage from the Death-cap mushroom, which is extremely poisonous. The golden thistle flowers have the same taste as saffron and also add a bright yellow color to your food so that many Europeans harvest these for their dishes.

Warning

• The U. S. Department of Agriculture has placed Scotch thistle on the Idaho state noxious weed list due to its abundance in that state. Italian thistle is also on the U. S. Department of Agriculture's noxious weed list for 46 states. It is imperative that you can distinguish the types of thistle before picking or handling them due to these two types' poisonous traits.