We meet today with a plant that is known under a variety of common names: milk thistle, Scotch thistle, milk thistle ... If good and to avoid confusion with other thistles that share common name it is best to refer it by its scientific name Sylibum marianum.
Milk thistle is a herbaceous annual or biennial longevity, often appearing in vacant lots or roadsides and which can be distinguished from other thistles, among other things, the white stripes that run along the bundle of leaves. These leaves are irregular and have spines, and may reach 30 inches and come in a rosette. The height of this plant can reach at the time of its peak of 1.5 meters, so its size when the flowers appear, usually in their second year of life is spectacular.
These flowers come to measure 8 inches in diameter and have an intense color halfway between pink and purple.
Milk thistle is related to the artichoke, which is why in certain areas is known as artichoke or "Scotch alcancil" rather than as milk thistle.
This name (milk thistle) comes from a legend curious connected with its many medicinal qualities we will mention later.
By all accounts, this thistle leaves are spotted with white (hence the stripes on the leaves) with milk poured the Virgin Mary when Jesus was nursing. For this reason the plant will be blessed and full of healing properties.
in England refer to this plant as a "troublemaker snake" as it can cause them fight against each other. This award certainly iconic draws a parallel between the serpent and the bad on one side and milk thistle and good for another.
Besides their magical properties, it is true that traditionally used this plant for medicinal purposes to various ailments. Its seeds are derived substances such as silymarin, which is used in diseases of liver and gallbladder and silibinin, used in mushroom poisoning (Amanita phalloides and Amanita muscaria). Furthermore benefits are attributed cough, asthma, bleeding ... although its potential benefits have not always been scientifically proven. In one of the links that we facilitate at the end of this post will detail their properties as well as scientific or medical validity.
It also has culinary uses to serve its leaves to make salads, remove the bones previously clear. We thank
collaboration of Antonio González, user and contributor to http://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/herbarium/ in identifying this plant.
More information on the following links:
- http://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/mednat/silybum_marianum.pdf (Interesting article about the therapeutic properties of this plant)
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